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On Dec. 20, 2024, my 19th birthday, Notre Dame was buzzing for its playoff clash against Indiana and the “College GameDay” experience that brought Pat McAfee’s kicking contest to town.

After arriving at the “College GameDay” line at 7 a.m., I was comfortably positioned near the front of the line. Even if the odds were 300-1 (based on the amount of kicking raffle tickets given out), I knew I was going to do everything to ensure that I would be the kicker.

Having played soccer my whole life, I was eager to give it a shot. I was trying to get my hands on any ticket I could possibly receive by striking up deals with some folks in the crowd. Unfortunately, I had no luck with that method.

However, I had a large group of friends who pulled an all-nighter on the quad. About an hour and a half into the show, they were understandably frozen and sleep-deprived. All ten of them gave me their tickets. Thus, my chances skyrocketed.

Thirty minutes later, the in-person host of “College GameDay” announced the winning ticket during a commercial break. The longest thirty seconds of my life ended with one of my tickets being called. I felt like Charlie in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as I rushed to the stage. Immediately, the producers picked me up over the gates, and I began signing the legal contracts and warming up.

With snow on the ground and crisp air permeating through South Bend, I made sure to jog for as long as I could before the kick itself. I wasn’t able to warm up my frozen foot, but that’s all the time I had. Before I knew it, the producer came over to me and said it was go time. As I arrived where the kick was set up, I thought to myself the same thing Rudy’s father stated as he saw Notre Dame Stadium for the first time: “This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen.”

Thanks to some clever design, the, “Touchdown Jesus” mural was perfectly positioned in-between the uprights. It was also lit up green. I felt that this was the closest I’d ever get to heaven on earth.

I can’t say I remember what happened prior to the kick. I warmed up best I could, pumped up the crowd and somehow made a quick call to my Dad telling him to turn on ESPN.

A short commercial break later and with $500,000 on the line, it was time. Pat McAfee yelled as Kirk Herbstreit played the role of placeholder, and I moved my feet forward. Unfortunately, those feet were flung up in the air just about a second later as the slippery, icy conditions of the turf coinciding with my soaked shoes propelled me to fall on my back.

Luckily, in “College GameDay” spirit, I was given a second chance at double the reward. This chance went much more successfully, sort of. I booted the ball far enough, but my plant foot slid yet again as I kicked the ball, hooking it to the left of the goalpost.

Shortly afterwards, a camera crew from “Bussin with the Boys” — a popular podcast on Barstool Sports — approached me. I gave a heartfelt speech that drew in many positive comments on their YouTube video which amassed hundreds of thousands of views. Those messages helped ease the pain of missing out on my million dollar chance.

Understandably, I was devastated after the experience as my phone blew up with messages from friends and family alike as well as people who I haven’t heard from in years, offering their moral support.

Of course, I was sad not to walk away with my college tuition paid off. It was also tough to read so many negative comments from trolls online. However, as I look back on it, I’m reminded of all the people in my life that matter. Those are the opinions that mean the most and helped me put this in a positive perspective.

I’ve been reminded of the quote from Theodore Roosevelt, “Man in the Arena.” On that night, for a brief moment, I was the man in the arena. I’ve been a Notre Dame fanatic my whole life, and to have an opportunity to represent the university on a national stage, beneath the eyes of Touchdown Jesus, meant the world.