'He threw the freakin' shoe!': Revisiting Marco Wilson's infamous toss five years later

"That truly hurt! Who throws a shoe? Honestly!" -- Mike Myers successful "Austin Powers"

Throughout assemblage shot history, determination person been countless examples of teams snatching decision from the jaws of triumph owed to immoderate affectional decision. Regret is sewn into the cloth of the sport. But fewer shenanigans person felt truthful utterly bizarre, inherently comic and impactful arsenic Marco Wilson's flip of an LSU player's footwear successful the 4th fourth of a rivalry crippled connected Dec. 12, 2020.

The throw, which came successful a necktie crippled against a dense underdog, surely outgo Florida a win. It might, too, person kept the Gators from the College Football Playoff. And the play proved a turning constituent successful the past of a once-proud Florida programme that spent overmuch of the adjacent 5 years adrift successful a oversea of mediocrity.

It was a infinitesimal that, 5 years later, inactive begs the aforesaid question: Who throws a shoe?

ESPN spoke with much than a twelve players, coaches and broadcasters from the 2020 showdown betwixt the Gators and Tigers to find the existent story.

Marco Wilson, Florida antiaircraft back: I've been done harder times. Way harder than what I went done with that shoe. That footwear was conscionable broadcast astir the internet.

Derek Ponamsky, peculiar adjunct to LSU manager Ed Orgeron: How bash you propulsion the frickin' shoe?

Sean McDonough, ESPN broadcaster: None of america had seen it before, nary of america person seen it since, and I uncertainty we ever volition again.

T.J. Slaton Jr., Florida antiaircraft lineman: Bad oregon good, it doesn't matter. It's memorable.

It was 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rigors of the play had already taken their toll connected galore players and coaches.

Wilson: It was a batch of accent that twelvemonth -- the COVID stuff. Your schedule's changing. I'm stressing astir trying to marque it to the NFL. That was my main goal. I wasn't playing the champion done that year. It was, "Man, americium I going to get drafted?"

Ponamsky: One of the astir intimidating places to play successful each of assemblage shot is The Swamp, and usually there's 3,000 radical straight down your seat leaning implicit the railing. But due to the fact that it was a COVID game, determination was cipher there.

Brad Johnson, erstwhile FSU QB and begetter of Max Johnson: They had those cardboard pictures chopped retired instead.

Jack Marucci, LSU manager of diversion training: We astir didn't person capable assistance players to play, due to the fact that we'd interaction traced truthful galore players. We were playing walk-ons, freshmen that weren't expected to play. They were each retired there.

Florida entered the crippled ranked sixth nationally, a spot successful the SEC rubric crippled already secured and a berth successful the College Football Playoff inactive up for grabs. LSU was conscionable a twelvemonth removed from a nationalist championship, but this had been a disastrous play of injuries and opt-outs.

Cade York, LSU kicker: We were conscionable getting beaten down that season. First crippled aft that title you get bushed by Mississippi State throw...