For those who don't know, the Armed Forces Bowl, a college football event that honors the men and women in our military, took place yesterday. This year, the teams selected to play were Texas State and Rice, and the Bobcats took home the victory. However, from the start of this showdown, it would appear that the audience had a lot more to be thankful for than just another win.
Before the game even kicked off, five parachutists descended onto the field carrying flags from different military branches. It's customary for traditions to take place before games like this one, but this time, it didn't go as planned. Football fans captured videos of the parachutists and watched as only three of the five landed safely in the stadium.
The video above shows the second skydiver getting caught on a cable attached to the field goal netting. After hanging on for a brief moment, the man falls about 35 feet to the ground. Three of the other parachutists landed safely, but another one also landed unsuccessfully outside the stadium.
The media director for the game, Dave Harris, shared that the fallen man was able to walk on his own. No one in the audience was injured, according to the Houston Chronicle.
A Brief History of the Armed Forces Bowl
Most people are familiar with the term "bowl" in relation to the "Super Bowl", but many don't know that bowls were historically created before the NFL or any modern football playoff system. The original purpose of holding these postseason football games was to attract tourists in warm-weather cities. The name is inspired by the shape of most football stadiums, which is usually big and "bowl-like."
Before it became the Armed Forces Bowl, this game was known as the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl from 2003 to 2005. Then, in 2006, it separated itself from previous bowls by becoming the first game of its kind created specifically to honor those in the military. Since then, it's been known as the Armed Forces Bowl.
Since 2006, 23 games have been played to honor service members. More historical facts on the stadium and the game can be found at the Armed Forces Bowl website.
