Cal student scores a field goal on “College GameDay” to fund a $600,000 donation for Hurricane Helene relief

ESPN’s long-running pregame program “College GameDay” took place on the UC Berkeley campus Saturday before the Golden Bears’ game against eighth-seeded Miami.

Each week, one lucky student is selected from the crowd that gathers for “College GameDay.” The student receives as part of “Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest.” If the contestant does the kick, they win a cash prize.

But this week’s candidate was distinguished by unique circumstances. A Cal student named Daniel had to hit a kick through the uprights to take home $75,000, but he pushed the ball too far to the right. Then he was given another chance, but this time $100,000 was at stake.

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November 3, 2018; Pullman, WA The California Golden Bears helmet sits during a football game against the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Martin Stadium. (James Snook-USA TODAY Sports)

Before Daniel lined up for the attempt, McAfee informed the college student that GameDay was willing to match its donation to Hurricane Helene relief efforts by $100,000. The additional pledge increased the donation total to $600,000.

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While Daniel gained shooting experience during his time as a football player, he admitted that Saturday was the first time he had tried to shoot a football from such a distance. He also said he arrived at the location where the “College GameDay” set was located around 11:40 p.m. Friday night.

Daniel’s shoes were a hot topic. He wore a pair of faceless Vans during the field goal attempt.

“Can we take a picture of the shoes?” EPSN’s Kirk Herbstreit asked just before Daniel’s first attempt.

The Ax Trophy before a game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Even Cal head coach Justin Wilcox took notice of the engineering student’s shoes.

“My man Daniel with the checkered Vans,” Wilcox said during his visit to the “College GameDay” set. “I borrowed the one from Jeff Spicoli at Ridgemont High. 33 yards long. This is my husband. Daniel.”

Oct. 14, 2023: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Miami The Hurricanes helmet sits on the bench while the Hurricanes play the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium. (Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports)

The kicking competition is now in its second year and has provided spectators with some special moments.

In 2023, a Washington student became the first recipient of the cash prize. Students getting a second chance to play is now something completely normal. Earlier this season, a Texas A&M freshman named Lucas was picked from the crowd. But after a confident Lucas declared, “I can do this – I could go out and make a 45-yarder right now,” his first shot ultimately failed.

However, Lucas was soon granted a second attempt. McAfee even agreed to double the prize, meaning Lucas would win $50,000 if he could put the soccer ball through the uprights from 33 yards away. Lucas made the most of his second chance and shot the ball home.

The California-Miami game is scheduled to kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET.

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Helene caused an estimated $30 billion in damages across the southeastern United States, according to an analysis by California-based financial and consumer analytics firm CoreLogic. The company also expects the financial impact to continue to grow.

Helene made landfall in Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane.

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