Poorman’s 15 Minutes of Fame: Gary Tyrrell (Stanford Trombone Player, Cal Football’s The Play, 1982)

“Well, I was the lead, or the trombone section leader, and it was pretty tight back there as the game was nearing the end. The band had gone down to field level for our traditional postgame concert, which we thought was gonna be a victory rally, and it was pretty tight in there. And so once once the clock went down to zero, it just sort of loosened up. I backed up into the end zone, and Kevin Moen just ran right through me.”

— Gary Tyrrell (Stanford Trombone Player, Cal Football’s The Play, 1982)

Air date: 07/03/2025

Tune in as Poorman interviews Gary Tyrrell, the Stanford trombone player who was infamously run into and knocked down during The Play, a last-second, game-winning kickoff return for a walk-off touchdown during a Cal Berkley vs. Stanford college football game in Berkeley on Nov. 20, 1982.

During the game Cal Berkley used five laterals, with defensive back and return man Kevin Moen running over the Stanford trombonist in scoring the winning touchdown on the last play of the game.

YouTube video of The Play from the Cal vs. Stanford 1982 Big Game
Stanford Magazine “And the Band Played On”
instagram.com/thegarytyrrell

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