ABOVE VIDEO:Ashley got the competition started with a solid 41-yard punt, advancing the ball to the 31-yard line. Where he really gave himself a chance at a makeable kick was with the passing section, launching an absolute bomb all the way to the 17-yard line on the other side of the field, good for a 52-yard toss. From there, the rest was history.
BREVARD COUNTY, MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – When Brian Ashley, a native of Orlando and the uncle of Florida Tech punter/kicker Brion Ashley, made his throw to the 17-yard line, everyone in the stadium knew he had a chance.
With a brand new 2015 Audi A3, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne, on the line, Ashley lined up to attempt a 27-yard field goal.
With a brand new 2015 Audi A3, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne, on the line, Ashley lined up to attempt a 27-yard field goal.
Understandably, he was visibly nervous, especially considering he had never in his life kicked a field goal before. With the crowd awaiting anxiously, the 46-year-old former basketball player and track & field athlete hit a line-drive kick and slotted the ball between the uprights, becoming the first person to ever make the kick and win the brand new luxury sedan at an Florida Tech football game.
As the boisterous cheers rained down from the raucous Homecoming crowd, Brian Ashley, middle, raced down the field to meet his nephew with a celebratory hip-check and then made a beeline for his girlfriend, Lori Burda, right who embraced him with a hug.
“I’m ready to drive. It’s a good feeling,” said Ashley.
“I didn’t come here expecting to do this. I came here to see a game and I’m driving away happy.”
As the boisterous cheers rained down from the raucous Homecoming crowd, Ashley raced down the field to meet his nephew with a celebratory hip-check and then made a beeline for his girlfriend, Lori Burda, who embraced him with a hug.
Burda was on the field for the competition and captured the event on camera. A link to the video can be found below this release.
Ashley got the competition started with a solid 41-yard punt, advancing the ball to the 31-yard line. Where he really gave himself a chance at a makeable kick was with the passing section, launching an absolute bomb all the way to the 17-yard line on the other side of the field, good for a 52-yard toss.
From there, the rest was history.
Brian Ashley, left, with Florida Tech president Dr. Anthony Catanese, right. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
“When I first started, I looked down the field and felt like ‘there’s no way I’m going to even get close to that. When I punted it, they said it went about 40-41 yards. I tried to throw it 40 yards, but it went 60. Then they said it was like a 17-yard field goal. I was like ‘oh no, I’ve never kicked a field goal in my life.’ I started backing up and was like ‘if it goes, it goes. As soon as I kicked it, I looked up and said ‘it’s going through, it’s going through.”
“To this second, I still can’t believe it went through. ‘How did I do that?’ is going through my mind.”
Coming off the 44-9 Homecoming win over Mississippi College, Florida Tech (5-3, 2-2 GSC) will travel to Rome, Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 1 for a Gulf South Conference matchup with Shorter. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.
