Football loss leads to Powerball lottery win

ASHEBORO, N.C. (Gray News) – A man in North Carolina said he owes his $150,000 lottery win to a loss by his favorite football team.

Jacob Strickland was disappointed to see the Clemson Tigers lose to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Nov. 5 and bought a Powerball lottery ticket after thinking his luck couldn’t get any worse.

Strickland, a 29-year-old welder, purchased a Quick Pick ticket for the Nov. 5 drawing using Online Play on his phone.

“It really was a last-minute thing right before the drawing,” he told the NC Education Lottery.

The man’s luck prevailed as he matched numbers on four white balls and the Powerball on his $3 ticket. His prize tripled when the 3x Power Play multiplier hit.

“It was just a day of disbelief because I’ve never won anything before,” Strickland said, adding that his friends thought he was lying about the win.

Strickland claimed his prize Tuesday. After taxes, he took home about $106,000.

He plans to invest some of the money and put the rest in his savings.