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Paratrooper Got Caught in Field Goal Netting Before Armed Forces Bowl
To kick off the Armed Forces Bowl festivities at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, five paratroopers sailed down from the blue skies in an attempt to land on the field for the pregame festivities.
That’s where things went wrong. According to Keff Ciardello of San Antonio Express-News, only three of the five paratroopers landed on the field as intended. One touched ground outside the stadium, while another made it into Amon G. Carter Stadium but got caught up in wiring in the field goal netting and fell into the crowd.
"The parachutist immediately got up and off the field on his own power and no one on the ground was injured," a spokesperson for the Armed Forces Bowl told USA TODAY Sports.
Parachuting fail at the Armed Forces Bowl. 3 of 5 touched down safely. One landed outside the stadium. pic.twitter.com/pQr5IYfboF
— Keff Ciardello (@Keff_C) January 2, 2026
As for the actual football played Friday afternoon, Texas State clobbered Rice 41–10 to improve to 7–6 this season—the program’s third straight winning campaign and third straight bowl game win.
Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson led the way, throwing for 173 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Lincoln Pare racked up 106 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.
Rice dropped to 5–8 on the season, its first under head coach Scott Abell.
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Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.