Fall summons armchair quarterbacks from coast to coast. No one runs better routes or hits them in the numbers more accurately than a middle-aged guy crushing cold ones and sucking on chicken wings in a jersey older than the guys on the field, after all.
One fan in the stands at a recent University of Alabama football game may actually be better than the players on the field. A viral TikTok has people suggesting that the coach put him in the game.
The post by Professor Bob (@professorbob21) shows a man in a checkered shirt stand up and throw a football onto the field. The throw is an absolute laser.
They appear to be sitting in the upper level above one of the end zones. The ball he throws makes it to the end zone. At that distance, even factoring for elevation, it’s an amazing throw.
Some 3.4 million people have watched him pass to the grass as of this writing.
Professor Bob didn’t respond to BroBible’s direct message sent via TikTok.
Who Threw The Ball—And Why?
The ball appears to have been thrown by Tres Ledbetter (@tres_ledbetter). Ledbetter takes credit for the throw in comments on Professor Bob’s post. When someone commented, “Was or is QB,” Ledbetter replied, “Used to.”
According to the text overlay on Professor Bob’s video, Ledbetter paid Professor Bob $40 for their ball. “Bro paid me $40 just to do this,” it reads.
Ledbetter’s account also includes footage of the throw taken from a different angle.
Ledbetter did not respond to an Instagram direct message from BroBible.
So why did he do it? In the caption on his post, Ledbetter explains, “Had to see if I still had it.”
Judging by the response, he definitely still has it.
‘Put Him In Coach’
A consistent theme in the comments on both Professor Bob’s and Ledbetter’s posts is simple: Dude throws a good ball.
Many suggested Ledbetter sub in for various NFL and college football teams.
“Ravens need a qb rn, Lamar is hurt for a bit,” wrote one.
Sherwin Williams commented from its verified account, “How do you like Cleveland? Asking for a friend.” The company is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Several believe he’s a better option than whoever’s throwing ducks in Cincinnati these days.
Sorry on both accounts, Joe Flacco. In an extremely rare move, the Cleveland Browns just traded Flacco to their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals.
Current college football laughingstock Arch Manning came up in the comments.
“Is that Arch Manning?” wondered one, to which another joked, “Way too good of a pass.” A second chimed in, “No, he actually hit the field.”
Can You Throw A Football On The Field?
As many people pointed out, you are not allowed to throw things onto the field. Now, in this instance, the game was on a break, and no one got hit. And clearly it wasn’t his first time throwing a ball.
But it’s easy to see why it’s prohibited to throw things from the stands. As one noted, “And if it came up short the kid in lower bowl is in the hospital with a concussion or brain damage.” That’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, but the point stands.
It’s also true that the rules have changed over the years. (Thanks, everyone who attended Bottlegate.)
“20 years ago it would have been hilarious but now you’ll get banned, fined, charged, sued and fired,” wrote one.
Ledbetter, or whoever threw that ball, appears to have gotten away with it—this time.
@professorbob21