The Neutron Man
Encyclopedia
The Neutron Man real name Orlas King, was a popular Ohio State University
college football fan for thirty years. Always seated by the marching band, King would burst into his original dances whenever the Ohio State University Marching Band
would play the “Neutron Dance
”.
where his father was a tool and die maker. Every year he and his father would travel to Columbus, Ohio
, to Ohio Stadium
to watch a Buckeyes home football game. Later, King went on to play football on a scholarship at the University of Dayton
.
’ “Neutron Dance”. The spectators established a connection between the song and King and began to chant, “Neutron Man, Neutron Man”. From that point forward, the Neutron Man would dance at every Ohio State home football game during the third quarter break. King eventually began to wear his scarlet and gray beret and his very own Ohio State Buckeyes jersey with “Neutron Man” printed on the back.
was even created. A portion of the money generated from sales went to a cheerleading scholarship.
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
college football fan for thirty years. Always seated by the marching band, King would burst into his original dances whenever the Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at Ohio State football games and other events during the fall quarter...
would play the “Neutron Dance
Neutron Dance
"Neutron Dance" is a dance/R&B/New Wave song from the Pointer Sisters. Released from their album Break Out in 1984, the song hit the US Top 10, peaking at number six on the Billboard chart, and was also featured in the Eddie Murphy motion picture Beverly Hills Cop.It became the group's fourth top...
”.
Early life
King grew up in Kettering, OhioKettering, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,502 people, 25,657 households, and 15,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,077.4 people per square mile . There were 26,936 housing units at an average density of 1,441.6 per square mile...
where his father was a tool and die maker. Every year he and his father would travel to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, to Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
to watch a Buckeyes home football game. Later, King went on to play football on a scholarship at the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
.
Football Games
King, along with his wife Debbi, started dancing at Ohio State home football games in 1973. At that time he was known as the B Deck Dancer. He remained the B Deck Dancer until 1984 when the Ohio State Marching Band introduced its rendition of the Pointer SistersPointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
’ “Neutron Dance”. The spectators established a connection between the song and King and began to chant, “Neutron Man, Neutron Man”. From that point forward, the Neutron Man would dance at every Ohio State home football game during the third quarter break. King eventually began to wear his scarlet and gray beret and his very own Ohio State Buckeyes jersey with “Neutron Man” printed on the back.
Contributions
Until his death in 2004, King promoted and contributed to the Ohio State Marching Band and Ohio State Cheerleading programs. He helped to raise money for both groups and, being the owner of several restaurants, frequently catered lunches for the students after the marching band and cheerleading tryouts. Spawning from his popularity, a Neutron Man Beanie BabyBeanie Baby
A Beanie Baby is a stuffed animal, made by Ty Warner Inc., which was later renamed as Ty Inc. in late 1993. Each toy has an inner "posable lining" and is stuffed with plastic pellets rather than conventional stuffing , giving Beanie Babies a flexible feel.The original nine Beanie Babies launched...
was even created. A portion of the money generated from sales went to a cheerleading scholarship.