He attended the University of Kansas, where he played college football from 1901 to 1903 as a fullback and captained the 1903 Kansas Jayhawks football team.

Brumage also participated in track and field as Kansas, running the hurdles in 1902–03.

After coaching at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri and Nebraska State Normal School—now known as Peru State College—Brumage moved to Lexington, Virginia to become the tenth head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).

[1] During World War I, Brumage attended officer's training school and was promoted to the rank of major in the United States Army.

He served in France with the 322nd Field Artillery Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division.