Posted at 1:30 a.m., Saturday, September 1, 2007
CFB: Man would give Fiesta Bowl ball to Boise State
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — The man who claims to have grabbed the football that Boise State running back Ian Johnson threw into the stands after scoring the winning two points in the Fiesta Bowl last January says he will give it to the university if he is asked.Jim Hoepf, a Phoenix mortgage broker, said he scooped up the ball after it came to rest in the seat in front of him at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., while Broncos fans tried to run onto the field.
KBCI television in Boise reported that Hoepf said he put the ball under his jacket, and that the man next to him offered Hoepf whatever he wanted for the ball. Instead, Hoepf said he grabbed his son, Austin, and quickly left the stadium.
He said his son was confused by the early exit but understood when shown the football.
The ball is being displayed in Hoepf's home along with the Fiesta Bowl ticket stub. But Hoepf said the ball belongs in the BSU trophy case.
On the final play of the game, Johnson took a handoff on a "Statue of Liberty" play and ran to the end zone untouched for a two-point conversion to seal a 43-42 victory over Oklahoma. He then threw the ball into the crowd of 63,000.
Johnson has said he was trying to throw the ball to family members but overshot the mark.
