“I played soccer my whole life. Senior year in high school, the football team needed a kicker, and since I had friends on the team, they asked me to try it. I just bought some footballs and practiced until I got decent at it. It wasn’t that big of an adjustment from soccer, kind of the same mechanics. I played center mid growing up, but later I had some concussion issues, so I decided to put my brain in front of soccer.

Now I’m a finance major, in my final year, and I work part-time at a bank. I’ll graduate in May 2026. I’ve thought about what to do with the $125,000, and I want to invest it or use it toward a down payment on a house. Probably I’ll talk to some of the investment guys at the bank and ask what’s wisest.

The night before College Game Day was Halloween, and I was under the impression the process would be the same as it was two years ago—that everyone would line up the night before to get a wristband for entry. So, me and my friends were planning to do that. Once we got there, we found out that wasn’t the case at all—it was a live line.

We were trying to decide what to do because we didn’t have any warm stuff with us. My friend held our spot in line while I ran to get blankets, snacks, and chairs. We got there at 4:30 p.m. the night before. We spent the whole night there. It actually turned out to be kind of fun. Everyone was hanging out together in line. It got cold, but we had sleeping bags.

When I made the Pat McAfee kick, it had been about 35 hours since I’d really slept—with maybe an hour nap in the middle. I met Garrett, the guy whose name was drawn, right before it happened. I didn’t know him at all before that. When his raffle ticket was called, it wasn’t even close to mine, and me and my friends were sad.

Then Garrett came walking up. My best friend, Caleb, recognized him because Garrett had been his teacher aide for a class. Caleb shouted his name, and Garrett said, kind of nervously, ‘I’m not kicking.’ Caleb told him, ‘This is your guy right here,’ pointing to me. Garrett looked at me and asked, ‘Will you make it?’ I said, ‘I’ve kicked before, so yeah.’ We decided in that split second to do it together. I hopped over the fence, and we went back there together.

I kicked at 8:50 a.m., but I went back there around 7:50. That hour waiting was good and bad. It gave me time to warm up since my legs were stiff from the cold, but I was also psyching myself out thinking about the kick.

This whole thing—the kick, the crowd, the attention—still feels like a fever dream. It’s been wild, but mostly just really fun. My parents have been over the moon, posting pictures of me as a four-year-old with Swoop. I grew up a Utah fan, and being able to represent the U like this means a lot.

I’m a little sad to graduate soon, because college only comes once. I feel like I’ve really made the most of it—going to games, meeting friends, and now, having one unforgettable story to tell for the rest of my life.”

Jonah Knubel is a finance major in his senior year from Sandy, Utah