The Redskins Blog

Chris Thompson Missed His Flight, Forgot His Ticket And Still Made It To The BCS National Championship Game

(AP)

The wrong backpack sat rumpled on the cabin floor of the airplane. No front pocket was sewn into the ventral side. Chris Thompson panicked and tweeted.

Without a front pocket, there would be no ticket. Without a ticket, the Redskins running back had no idea how he would make it inside the Rose Bowl.

He had already arrived late to check-in on Saturday, missing his first flight. The clerks rebuffed Thompson when he tried to get another flight. They were sold out.

He went home and sulked, deciding to watch the game on TV. After sleeping on it, Thompson reconsidered and arranged a trip to Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 6, the same day his alma mater would take on Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game.

Now he had the wrong bag.

“I switched bookbags, but I forgot to take my ticket out,” Thompson said. “And as soon as I sat down, I thought about it, and I was like…  ‘This can’t be happening right now.'”

By the time his plane touched down in California, Thompson’s desperation post had solicited a few offers to sit with fans.

Candi Fisher, wife of Jimbo, the head coach of the Seminoles, came through for Thompson. She had an extra seat who won the 2012 Leadership Award on offense at FSU before the Redskins selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Thompson arrived a few hours before kickoff and got a ride to the stadium. He bumped into E.J. Manuel, who completed his rookie year with the Bills, and entered the fracas in Pasadena. They signed autographs, took pictures and got lost.

Eventually Thompson found his seat and watched his old teammates run out of the tunnel. He said the size of the stage didn’t hit him until then.

No. 2 Auburn ran up a 21-3 first-half lead on No. 1 FSU, but the Seminoles regained momentum with a fake punt.

“That was a surprise to me,” Thompson said.

“It didn’t even catch me until he crossed the line for the first down because I had turned around and was talking to someone, and then I saw the fans getting all crazy. I didn’t expect Jimbo to do something like that, especially that early on, but that was the game changer for him.”

Devonta Freeman, whom Thompson mentored in Tallahassee, Fla., punched in a 3-yard touchdown to finish the drive and start a run of 17 unanswered points for FSU.

Auburn finally answered with a field goal, but Florida State took the lead on a 100-yard kick return by Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield.

“When I saw him hit that corner, I was like, ‘It’s over,'” Thompson said.

“I think he’s never, since he’s been playing ball or running track, ever been run down once he’s passed somebody.”

Auburn made a final push, regaining the lead with on a 37-yard run by Tre Mason. Florida State had 1:19 left on the lock and Heisman-winning redshirt freshman at quarterback.

Thompson was calm.

“That’s too much time, way too much time,” he said.

“Coach Fisher goes through that situation every Thursday with those guys. He’ll put up, sometimes a minute, sometimes a minute and a half, sometimes just 30 seconds. They practice that stuff every single week. I knew that was way too much time.”

He was right.

Jameis Winston directed an 80-yard scoring drive capped off by a tall touchdown throw to 6-foot-5 receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Thompson knew the play was coming.

“Why not throw it up to Kelvin Benjamin at least one time with their tallest cornerback being I think 5-10 or 5-11?” he said.

“I started jumping up. I was full of joy. I had walked down on the field at that time. I was just walking around on the field hugging some of the guys, and I was just like, ‘Y’all did it.”

Thompson hugged his old position group, Freeman and James Wilder, first. In the locker room he embraced Fisher. The coach told Thompson, ‘Thank you for all you did.”

Thompson enjoyed the evening and eventually returned home.

An untouched ticket to the title game was waiting in the front pocket of his other bookbag.