BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For one Indiana University student, Saturday's edition of ESPN's "College GameDay" will be remembered not for the pageantry or the pregame analysis, but for a moment of pure agony that unfolded right in front of a national audience.
Jackson, a Hoosiers fan with a leg that clearly had the power to make a 33-yard field goal, stepped up for the show's popular "Kicking Is Easy" segment hosted by Pat McAfee. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has already shelled out more than $14 million to lucky students who can split the uprights, and Jackson looked poised to add his name to that list.
His first attempt, however, drifted left and clanked off the upright — a miss that would have been bad enough. But McAfee, ever the showman, offered Jackson a second chance. That's when the real heartbreak began.
On the second try, Jackson's kick sailed toward the goal posts, and for a split second, it looked like it might just sneak inside. But at the last possible instant, the ball hooked left again, missing by what appeared to be mere inches. The camera caught Jackson's face as the reality sunk in — he had come within a whisker of a life-changing payday, and it slipped away twice.
The reaction on social media was swift and sympathetic. "I don't think anyone's ever looked more heartbroken after missing it," one fan wrote. Another added, "This kid looks like he will have a depression he'll have to deal with for years."
But not all the blame was directed at Jackson. Many viewers pointed a finger at the man holding the ball: ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. "Kicks are set up to miss, look at the hold, Herbstreit's setup is terrible. I can't believe nobody has called him out," one user posted. Another declared, "We got Kirk Herbstreit who doesn't know how to hold the football right for the kicker."
Replays did seem to show Herbstreit placing the ball with the laces angled awkwardly, which can affect a kicker's contact. While it's impossible to know for sure if that cost Jackson the million, the criticism was loud enough to echo across the college football world. This comes amid a week of McAfee's ongoing battles with the New York Times, though this particular controversy was all about the hold.
For Jackson, the missed opportunity is a tough pill to swallow. But he's not alone in his pain — Michigan fans are feeling a similar sting after their team's loss to Indiana, and Anthony Edwards' knee surgery threatens his $304 million supermax dream, proving that sports can be cruel in the blink of an eye.
As for Jackson, the hope is that this near-miss doesn't linger too long. He'll always have the story of the day he almost won a million bucks — and the consolation that he was one of the few to even get a shot. But for now, the image of his face after that second miss is one that will stick with fans for a while.
