UofL students were among the first to rush the field after Louisville football upset Wake Forest on Saturday. The story behind a viral photo, some epic memories, and an unlikely friendship.
Thousands of fans poured out onto the field in Cardinal Stadium on Saturday after Louisville football secured its first Top 10 victory in 6 years.
But a few unlucky fans paid the ultimate sacrifice to make it happen.
A now-viral photo that State of Louisville photographer Jared Anderson captured of three men being pinned to the ground made its way around the Twittisphere this weekend. We got a few of the guys to tell their stories.
As the final seconds of the game ticked off the clock, players from both teams began moving onto the field. That’s when Louisville students decided to make the leap over the 7-foot wall around the field.
“I think I was around the 3rd person from the student section that actually jumped on the field,” Louisville student Gary English said. “As you can see, the first 2 or 3 (including English) got tackled and immediately cuffed and sat up.”
English was taken to the ground as fans around the stadium escaped onto the playing surface.
That’s when an unexpected hero came to English’s rescue.
“After getting tackled and being held down, I see the football player in the picture (Louisville corner Chandler Jones) come over and tell the police that ‘I’m with him,’ trying to save me and celebrate.”
English saw his opportunity and he took it.
“I agreed with the football player to try and get out of the situation, and the police let me get up and I ran.”
At least two others who were pinned down by security were less fortunate.
Lafayette high school senior Josh Smith gave his account as students hurdled over the wall in front of him.
“I decided to make the Wake game my girlfriend’s first college and Louisville football game,” explained Smith, who moved down from section 210 preparing to storm the field.
“Since it was her first game, I wanted to storm just for the memory.”
Smith and his, obviously very impressed at this point girlfriend, decided to hold off until security was preoccupied.
“Right when the benches were clearing to end the game but the time hadn’t quite elapsed, we notice someone jump down and start running.”
Smith said the first student on the field was tough to catch, but security had long awaited this moment.
“I then watch a security guard, who looked like the Walmart version of (Louisville linebacker) Monty Montgomery, take off after him, catch him, and absolutely body this man to the floor. Mind you, this guy didn’t look athletic at all, but he had some serious speed.”
What ensued was perhaps the greatest moment of the night.
“Great Value Monty dove and wrapped him with both arms on the takedown and the entire student section went ‘ohhhh’. It was probably the best form on any tackle I saw that day, which should say an awful lot. I mean he pummeled this guy. It was beautiful. This was the guy with the lighter hair, and he was the first to go.”
That’s when English eyed his turn.
“The second guy (presumably, English) wasn’t as eventful. He got caught up before even going onto the playing field and a few guys wrapped him up easily.”
All hell broke loose, however, when the student body version of Louisville wide receiver Braden Smith made a dash for it.
“There was a third guy who was fast as hell that took off for midfield, beating any security guard by a country mile. Things fell apart after that.”
That, they did, Josh.
But, what happened to the other two men in the picture? The fallen heroes of the night.
Enter Alex Riedl.
Riedl, the redheaded gentleman in the now-viral photo is a UofL exchange student from Germany who is in Louisville for the fall semester and will be taking a hell of a story back home for the holidays.
Riedl hit the field when he saw a window after the first (still unidentified) gentleman in the red shirt preoccupying security.
“When I jumped over (the wall) I dodged the first (security guard) but the second one got me. Then he and a second guy told me to get to the ground and to put my hands behind my back.”
“I wasn’t yet on the ground and still waited for an opportunity to get out of his grips and run away,” Reidl, apparently a freaking savage explained. “Then there were masses of people rushing the field behind us and then they realized their situation. One guy told the other not to handcuff (anyone). I also didn’t get handcuffed, and after I asked him to let me go, he let me go.”
So there you have it, at least two of the three gentlemen in the photo made it to the field after all.
Others did not have a similar fate.
Meet junior business student Dalton Hall.
Hall, a member of Kappa Sigma (pictured, right), and another unidentified student were handcuffed and did not get to meet their friends on the field.
“As soon as I got on the field, I was surrounded by at least three officers,” Hall explained. “They got me against the wall and handcuffed me. Ultimately, I was walked off the field, held outside the stadium (where we could all still see the field and crowd), and was given a citation.”
What the hell, man?
Ultimately, it wasn’t such a bad ending for Hall. Louisville tight end Marshon Ford met with the two detained students and even took pictures with them.
And as for Hall’s citation?
“The chief of UofL PD called me Monday morning asking if we could meet,” said Hall.
Apparently, Louisville decided to void the field stormer’s citations and let them off scot-free.
A happy ending for everyone, and a great story to tell their kids one day.
That was awesome. Go Cards
how sad it is we now storm the field after beating wake Forrest