Cal student amazingly wins Pat McAfee's $100K field goal challenge while wearing slip-on shoes

The first thing you notice about the Cal student named Daniel who joined ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday is that he looks like he hasn’t slept in days.

Which might actually be the case. Not only is it midterm season at Cal, the student said he’d been up camping out for GameDay since 11 p.m. Friday night.

But the second thing you notice, as Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee almost immediately called out, is that he’s wearing slip-on Vans. That’s not abnormal for a college student in California, but it is for someone about to attempt a field goal for $75,000.

Daniel was selected for McAfee’s weekly GameDay challenge — which has only seen one successful attempt this season — and he didn’t seem nearly as bothered by his choice of footwear as the two GameDay panelists. And for good reason.

Daniel barely missed his attempt, prompting McAfee and Herbstreit to offer him one more try for $100,000. You can guess what happened next. Daniel, Vans and all, absolutely drilled the field goal straight through the uprights and cashed a giant check from McAfee.

MISSED THE FIRST ONE, BUT NAILED THE SECOND KICK IN HIS VANS

Daniel is walking away with $100k and $600K is being donated to Hurricane Helene relief efforts. pic.twitter.com/6mGOLjAE7b

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 5, 2024