In an instant, Andrew Mooney can change from country-western singer to movie-star athlete. But the one aspect that doesn’t change is his goofy personality.
Day-to-day football routines can be dull for players, and since arriving on campus two years ago, the senior tight end has found different ways of entertaining himself and his teammates.
When the team is stretching, Mooney is belting out country-western tunes. When his teammates are doing post-game interviews, he is standing behind the camera, making faces.
“I just kind of like to keep things light,” Mooney said. “It’s just things to break the monotony, just trying to have fun. If I can make people laugh, even if they’re laughing at me, it’s what I’m going for.”
This spring Mooney took his antics to a different level.
After a short break from football during winter quarter, Mooney came to spring practice sporting a mustache that would rival any seen in a movie from the ’70s.
The mustache has gotten so much attention on and off the field that Mooney decided to keep it. He now trims it up every Saturday night.
“It goes over really well,” Mooney said. “I was walking (one Saturday night) and a guy grabbed my arm and pulled me back and I didn’t know what was going on. He said ‘Hey dude, nice ’stache.’
“I get to explain to people that it’s not for real.”
Before the Green and White game April 26, Mooney decided to make his mustache even more distinctive.
He dyed his mustache black, which had even his parents laughing.
“At least he cut his hair,” tight ends coach Pete Germano said with a smirk. “I don’t have any problem with that. There will be a point where coach (Frank) Solich will tell him to either cut it or shave it.”
Even his haircut has found a way to entertain.
Mooney was looking for a job last spring and Jason Grooms, Ohio’s director of football operations, suggested that he work for the local sandlot baseball league as an umpire.
Once the little leaguers saw his shoulder-length blonde hair, it didn’t take them long to come up with the nickname ‘Sunshine’ for Mooney after Kip Pardue’s character in Remember the Titans.
“I enjoyed it,” Mooney said of umpiring. “The really nice thing is during the games a lot of kids are out on Victory Hill and when we’re coming in and out of the tunnel, they’re all like ‘Sunshine, Sunshine!’”
Now that spring practice is over, Mooney is looking to make himself known for something more than just the team jester.
Last season, Mooney led the team with 34 receptions for 498 yards and nine touchdowns and, all joking aside, he is hoping to put together a season as distinctive as his mustache.
“I’d like to set the career touchdown record here,” Mooney said. “I kind of want to be one of those guys that when I leave, that every other tight end is compared to, like ‘Is he going to be the next Andrew Mooney?’”
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