![]() ![]() ![]() “I’m uncomfortably excited,” he said with a big smile. Performing in front of more people than his 1,000-resident hometown of Oregon, Mo. The spotlight is Sunday, a moment he realizes he’ll be hundreds of feet in the air. He thinks the adrenaline will kill any nerves he might have. But with the crowd, it’ll be completely different. He’s not afraid of heights and has done a tandem sky dive. He compares the anticipation to that of other big events - it’s coming faster than he thought. The past week has been typical, with the exception of people at work being pumped to see him jump, giving him support along the way. The look of shock subsided when he assured her it was safe. That evening, he had the conversation with his seven-month pregnant wife, Liz.Īt the part of him jumping from tall structures, her eyes got big, he said. He doesn’t quite recall how he accepted in that blurry moment, but he accepted. “I’ve been to games and tried to picture light towers.”īut after it became clear, he agreed. “It took me a second to think about what it really meant,” Derr said. He said he wanted Derr to deliver the first beer to fans - by jumping off an EverBank Field light tower onto the field. “It’s not something that’s just simple to do.”Ĭhallenge accepted - but Khan had one more up his sleeve.Īfter the initial enthusiasm wore down, a smiling Khan said he had one more challenge. It was doable, he said, but then asked the crew behind him if it was manageable. That is, making and selling beer at the stadium in the same day. Khan’s challenge: He wanted the “freshest beer ever” for fans at Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. That’s when Khan asked if Derr was “up for whatever,” a recent Bud Light campaign slogan that results in atypical encounters. Back at the tap room, though, the two shared a beer with cameras rolling. Khan arrived with cameras in tow and Derr led the tour area, showing how the company made its beer. They were a little nervous, Derr said, so he told them to relax. He thought Khan wanted a tour, so he gathered the crew in the plant’s tap room to share the news. And he only had about 15 minutes to prepare. ![]() Khan wants to come to the brewery,’” Derr recalls, “And he’s bringing a camera crew.” “I picked up the phone and they said ‘Mr. Then he received a phone call, one that set everything in motion. Checked in on the crew to ensure all was well with production. Last Friday was like many others for Derr, who’s served as Anheuser-Busch’s senior brewmaster for the past couple of years. The leap will be done Sunday, but what led to it was part of the “craziest day of work” Derr’s ever had. “That’s a long way up there,” he thought. And in a moment with so many thoughts running in his head, it suddenly became clear. He’d remember seeing Jaxson de Ville perform high-flying stunts. The 34-year-old brewmaster has been to many Jaguars games. Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan had just asked Derr, the Anheuser-Busch senior brewmaster, if he’d jump from EverBank Field’s light tower. It was a tall challenge that took Bryan Derr a moment to picture. ![]()
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