A college football fan learned a humbling lesson after underestimating the skill of kickers during a high-stakes challenge on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” Joshua Watson, a sophomore business major at South Carolina, became the center of attention when he took on Pat McAfee’s $120,000 kicking challenge ahead of South Carolina’s narrow 36-33 loss to No. 16 LSU.
Before attempting the 33-yard field goal, Watson confidently trolled kickers, downplaying their abilities. When McAfee asked if Watson had ever criticized kickers, the student didn’t hold back.
“All the time,” Watson replied. “It’s just so easy, it’s not a sport.”
Despite admitting he had never kicked a football before, Watson remained self-assured, declaring, “I’m gonna make it, because it’s easy.”
But things didn’t go as planned. When Watson took his shot, his right shoe flew farther than the ball, which veered badly to the left. It was a complete misfire, leaving both the crowd and the “College GameDay” panel in disbelief.
“Worst kick of all time,” McAfee said with a mix of humor and shock. “This kid sucks.”
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Fellow panelist Kirk Herbstreit echoed the sentiment, calling the kick “embarrassing” in a video McAfee later shared on social media.
The challenge, which McAfee runs each week, gives a lucky fan the chance to win a cash prize by making a 33-yard field goal. For Watson, $45,000 was on the line. But things took an exciting turn when guest panelist and country music star Darius Rucker added $15,000 to the pot, raising the total to $60,000. Then, after noticing Watson’s shirt, which featured the words “Walk-On for Jake” in honor of the Jake Panus Scholarship, McAfee and Rucker decided to further increase the stakes. They pledged an additional $60,000 to the scholarship fund if Watson made the kick, bringing the grand total to $120,000.
Unfortunately, Watson’s kick fell far short of the target, and he left the field empty-handed.
However, there was still a silver lining to the story. Despite the missed kick, McAfee announced that they would still donate the $60,000 to the Jake Panus Scholarship Fund, ensuring that some good came out of Watson’s embarrassing attempt.
In the end, Watson’s confidence may have backfired, but his participation still helped raise awareness for a worthy cause.
