Tom Snyder, the voice of the Ohio Stadium, is a perfect example of what it means to be an Otterbein Cardinal.
“I came to Otterbein for their broadcast and journalism program,” said Snyder. He is a part of the 2005 graduating class and has put his Otterbein experience to great use. Along with being the voice of Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University, Snyder is also the director of digital communications at St. Francis DeSales High School.
He believes that his time at Otterbein played a crucial role in landing the positions he did. “I think Otterbein not only prepared me for what I'm doing now in my career, but it also prepared me for life after college. I grew up a lot during my four years at Otterbein,” said Snyder. While at Otterbein, he served as the production director for WOBN, edited highlight videos for WOCC, and called games for the football team.
Although Snyder's focus point at Otterbein was his education and career, he also developed relationships that still last to this day. “I met some incredible people and have built friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Snyder.
Among those friendships is Stephen Rossman. Rossman is the video production manager at Otterbein and worked alongside Snyder during his tenure at the university. “Tom was very involved on campus and was an all-around great kid,” said Rossman. They worked together on multiple projects in the sports and video production area. Rossman also said that he is “not surprised” that Snyder has made a successful life for himself and also stated that he is “very proud of him.”
Snyder has been a lifelong Ohio State fan despite growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is very humbled to be a part of gameday and said that it still feels “unreal.” Snyder took over for the legendary Bob Kennedy after he passed away earlier this year. Kennedy was also a graduate of Otterbein University and served as the voice of Ohio Stadium for over 20 years. “It’s a tremendous honor to follow in the footsteps of Bob,” said Snyder. He and Kennedy were friends and worked on a few projects including the Columbus All-Americans, a summer college baseball team.
Outside of his career, Snyder spends most of his time with his wife Amanda, and his daughter Evelyn. “They are my world,” said Snyder. He is very grateful for the position he and his family are in and he feels that is exactly where they need to be.
Snyder's advice for others who hope to be in a similar position is simple, “get involved.” Snyder believes the best thing he did at Otterbein was trying different things. “By trying different things you may discover a new passion,” said Snyder.
Everything that he experienced during his childhood, his tenure at Otterbein, and the rest of his life has set him up with a job he used to dream of.
