Cal celebrates equipment manager who suplex tackled fan stealing helmet during field storming

Field storming is nothing new to college football this year, as dozens of programs have been fined for having fans flood onto the field after games. Sometimes, though, the field stormings can produce memories that will last a lifetime.

Just ask California equipment manager Trevor Skogerboe.

Skogerboe was minding his own business on the sideline after Cal’s game against Stanford on Saturday when out of the corner of his right eye he noticed a fan making a beeline toward the equipment rack as fans flooded the field. The fan then grabbed a helmet and attempted to take off, and Skogerboe broke into a brisk trot to chase him.

As it became clear what was unfolding, Skogerboe’s speed picked up and he quickly closed the gap on the fan. Here’s what happened next.

If anyone knows this @CalFootball equipment guy, please tell him we have a spot on staff for him during @seniorbowl week.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/Fu1lZSj5C7

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) November 25, 2024

Skogerboe decleated the would-be thief, sending them home without the prized Cal football helmet. Then, caught on the Internet, he quickly became a viral sensation.

Word of Skogerboe’s heroics didn’t take long to reach the Cal locker room, and he was even brought to the front of a team meeting to receive his just accolades in front of the guys. The clip played and they all celebrated heartily, many mimicking the downward fling the equipment man finished his tackling move off with.

Of course, there was one person who was a little critical of the technique.

“The one critique I would have is when we teach tackling on a chase tackle is we really want to come and secure the tackle and then come over the top, you know, violently to separate the runner from the ball,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “Or in this case the helmet.”

In any case, the whole incident made for a hilarious moment for both Skogerboe and the Cal football team, as well as the college football world at large.

You never know what might happen when the field gets stormed.

Wilcox praised his man for standing up for what was right on the field during the crazy aftermath of the 24-21 win.

“Other than that, flawless technique by Trevor, is his name,” Wilcox said. “I really appreciate the effort. He was enforcing one of the beliefs we have as a program, which is don’t steal things. And I think we’d all be a lot better off with more Trevors out there, so we appreciate his effort.”