Jackson Stallings turned a brutal missed opportunity into a very LinkedIn kind of moment.
The Indiana student who came up short on two 33-yard field goals that would have won $1 million on ESPN’s College GameDay leaned into the sting the next day, posting a business-style recap that played perfectly on the platform. His opening line set the tone: “Yesterday I missed 2 33yd kicks to win $1 million on national TV. Here’s what it taught me about B2B Sales...”
From there, Stallings framed the miss as a pair of lessons - “You win some you lose some” and “Smile and wave.” He also thanked “Pat, Kirk, the Gameday crew, and The Home Depot for an unforgettable experience!”
The post fit his LinkedIn profile, which lists finance and professional sales, and it quickly took off, drawing more than 7,000 reactions and more than 100 comments within days. College GameDay later reshared it on Instagram with the caption “Life lessons from College GameDay,” and that version pulled in more than 22,000 likes.
The scene that set all this in motion came during ESPN’s Halloween stop in Bloomington, the show’s third visit to the city. Pat McAfee selected Stallings, an Indiana native and former soccer player, for the “Kicking is Easy” contest before Minnesota faced Indiana.
McAfee got an earful from the crowd after learning Stallings roots for the Cincinnati Bengals. “I’ll tell you what, this is going to be only one kick right there,” McAfee said. “Had the opportunity to be a Colt instead, you chose to be a Bengal.”
Stallings’ first try hooked just outside the left upright. After the crowd pushed for another chance, McAfee relented and put the same $1 million back on the line.
The second kick went left too. “Jackson, it’s a heartbreaker,” McAfee said.
“We can’t do three.”
The money on the table came from McAfee and The Home Depot, which agreed to match his offer each week this season. Stallings didn’t leave empty-handed, though - he went home with tailgate supplies from the sponsor instead. Two weeks earlier, BYU student Carter Smith had cashed in on his second attempt, dressed as Spider-Man, and won $3 million after Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and business partner Ryan Sweeney each added $1 million.
On the field, Indiana nearly matched the drama from the kicking contest. Minnesota kicker Luke Drzewiecki drilled a career-long 60-yarder with 19 seconds left to put the Gophers ahead 16-13, and Indiana kicker Nico Radicic had already missed a 31-yard attempt wide left and seen a 52-yard try blocked.
Then the Hoosiers flipped it. Charlie Becker caught a 33-yard pass on the next snap, and Paddy McAteer answered with a career-long 60-yard field goal as time expired.
In overtime, backup quarterback Grant Wilson hit Becker for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play, and Indiana’s defense finished the job by sacking Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey on fourth down to seal Minnesota 16 vs. No.
4 Indiana 23.
Afterward, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti summed up the night with a grin: “This is entertainment, so I thought we’d bring some entertainment to this game,”
Indiana, now 8-1 and 5-1 in the Big Ten, hosts USC on Nov. 14 after an off week.
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