UA Engineering Student Balances Classwork with Busy Rodeo Schedule

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Bull riders live for the excitement, competitiveness and adrenaline rush they experience with every ride. They can’t wait for the next opportunity to sit on a bull for a mere eight seconds!

Brian Wheat, a University of Alabama sophomore in civil and environmental engineering, experiences that excitement every weekend bull riding in rodeos. As a member of the Southern Pro Bull Riders Association, Wheat competes in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

A Tuscaloosa native, Wheat got interested in bull riding when a high school friend talked him into trying it at a practice area in Cottondale. He’s been riding ever since. He was on the National High School Finals team and was ranked in the top four high-school bull riders in Alabama. Wheat was offered scholarships to colleges with rodeo teams throughout the Southeast, but he decided not to accept them because none of the colleges had engineering programs.

“Riding bulls is fun and exciting, but I knew I wanted to study engineering,” said Wheat. “Making a good salary bull riding is tough, especially when you are injured. With engineering, I’ll be able to have a more stable career.”

Wheat’s best ride has been a high of 89 points out of 100. Another thrill was attending the Terry Don West Bull Riding School. His worst ride was in Sept. 2001, when he dislocated his shoulder and had major reconstructive surgery on his face. After that ride, Wheat now wears an optional safety helmet.

“So far, bull riding has not really interfered with my school work, although I did have to reschedule my final exam in Dr. (Charles) Haynes’ class because I had a rodeo in Georgia,” said Wheat.

In 1837, UA became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering, with about 1,900 students and more than 90 faculty, is one of the three oldest continuously operating engineering programs in the country and has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.

Editor’s Note: For photos or to schedule an interview with Brian Wheat, contact Mary Wymer.