Notre Dame Leprechaun wins Pat McAfee kicking contest in dramatic fashion
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The cast and crew of ESPN’s College GameDay made the trek to South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday morning ahead of the monster showdown between No. 1 Miami and No. 11 Notre Dame.
As has become tradition in recent years, GameDay host Pat McAfee put a sizable chunk of his own money on the line for a lucky student in attendance who could make a 33-yard field goal. This week’s contest, however, came with a twist, as Notre Dame’s iconic leprechaun mascot also stepped up for a kick with $200,000 on the line for charity.
The Leprechaun narrowly missed his first attempt, but McAfee decided to give him another shot, this time raising the stakes to $500,000. With the pressure turned up to 11 and the crowd cheering him on, the Fighting Irish mascot stepped up to the ball once again and drilled it through the uprights to secure the cash.
One of the more unique traditions in college football, the Notre Dame leprechaun is a live student mascot selected each year through open tryouts. Earning the role is considered one of the highest honors a student can achieve at the university.
This season’s leprechaun did both the university and the tradition proud by drilling his second-chance kick and securing $500,000 for charity in front of a the entire country on ESPN.
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