A can of Dr Pepper is about $1, but much more than chump change is at stake for UF student Kevin Parza.
A prize of $123,000 looms between Parza and the giant Dr Pepper can he’ll throw footballs into for a scholarship if he advances past a preliminary contest against four semifinalists.
The Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway will challenge two finalists at the Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Atlanta on Dec. 4 to throw the most footballs into the oversized can, located 5 yards away.
“I practice throws three times a week for one hour,” Parza said. “I feel a bit of pressure, but I’m just thankful either way. Plus, I get two tickets to the SEC game, which is wonderful.”
If Parza makes it to the football-throwing standoff and loses, he’ll still be awarded $23,000. But if he wins, the 19-year-old pre-med student said the lump sum will help him pay for medical school.
Parza’s entry was chosen from thousands of Dr Pepper-themed videos submitted to Dr Pepper and judged by a panel that included ESPN college football analyst and Hall of Fame head coach Lou Holtz.
“Kevin rapped about Dr Pepper, and his creativity made him stand out,” said Jason Genthner, a spokesman for Dr Pepper. “The entries were judged on a range of criteria, such as impact of tuition and their inclusion of the Dr Pepper theme.”
Genthner said the challenge of throwing footballs into a nearby target only seems like an easy feat. The contestants have been given six weeks to train.
“It doesn’t look like much at first, until you’re down on the field and realize there are 50,000 people screaming while you’re standing out there,” Genthner said. “But there were no hidden tricks here. We told them about all the regulations, the size of the target and the size of the football so they’d be ready on the field.”
Genthner said that as America’s oldest soft drink, Dr Pepper has always been involved with college sports but just recently started helping students with their college tuition.
“We recognize the importance of achieving success on and off the field,” he said, “so it’s great that we’re able to impact someone’s life like that.”
