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SEE IT: 66-Year-Old LSU Freshman Plays Tuba In School Band

By Sports

(Crankers.com) Kent Broussard, a 66-year-old freshman at LSU, went viral after performing with the LSU Tiger Marching Band on Saturday.

ESPN featured the nearly AARP-eligible student in its Random Fandom segment.

Saturday’s matchup against Louisiana Tech marked Broussard’s debut as an official member of the LSU Tiger Marching Band.

“Now, the first time he watched LSU inside Tiger Stadium, he was just nine years old,” ESPN announcers said on the broadcast. “Life took him another way — a career, raising a family. But he had a dream: of joining the Golden Band from Tigerland. And five years ago, Kent picked up the tuba, he practiced, he trained, and yes, he enrolled in LSU, auditioned — he made the band!

“Tonight, nearly six decades later…Kent Broussard, a 66-year-old freshman. Broussard making his dream come true. He took the field at half-time with the Golden Band From Tigerland. How great is that?”

WATCH:

In an interview with CBS News, Broussard — a retired accountant — said it was his wife who encouraged him to follow his dream of joining the band.

“At first I was like, ‘Do they have like a senior band?’” Cheryl Broussard said. “I mean, I wasn’t sure what he was exactly talking about. And it was the real band.”

LSU Band Director Simon Holoweiko insists that Broussard’s age did not lead to any leniency in his treatment.

“No, there are no breaks when you come here,” Holoweiko said. “And we follow that process to get the best possible group we can.”

The next oldest member of the LSU band is just 25.

Broussard says his journey should stand as a reminder that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.

“Try it,” Broussard said. “The only thing you can do is fail. Your only failure is not trying.”

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