Barbers at “Ivey League” in Wilmington catch NFL history
Greg Slater caught Cowboy kicker Brett Maher's record 4th PAT miss
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – On 7890 Market Street in Wilmington is a piece of NFL history.
“We had a great time,” said Greg Slater. “We had 9 guys in different cars hanging out going to different places. It was just a great time.”
A group of friends at Ivey League Barber decided to make the 1,000+ mile road trip to Florida to see 2 different NFL games last weekend. They stopped at landmarks, gave some people their first Buccee’s experience, and then watched 8 quarters of professional playoff football. They’ve worked together for years, but this was their first time traveling together for a professional football game.
“It was a fun experience for all of us,” said Tyler Ivey. “For us to be able to go out and do something as a group, it was a really big bonding moment. We treat it like family. Only 2 of us are related, but we all act like family, do stuff outside the stop. We invited customers, it was just fun for everybody.”
“We blew a lot of money in the Seminole Casino in hard rock,” said Shane Vaczy. “We had a great experience.”
On Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Los Angeles Chargers. Then on Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Dallas Cowboys.
The Ivey’s own season tickets for the Bucs, and some of the staff are Tom Brady fans. Vaczy was one of those Brady fans, originally when he was in New England and still with him in Tampa Bat. It was his first time seeing the quarterback live in-person.
“I respect (Brady) for (leaving New England). The problem was Belichick. Let’s just leave that there.”
The Jacksonville game was just another game to go see. No one knew they would see one of the greatest comebacks in NFL postseason history.
The Chargers jumped out to a 27-point lead before losing 31-30, ironically, on a made game-winning field goal.
“I thought it was incredible,” said Tyler Ivey. “Seeing that and then the Tampa game, history made on both ends.”
But on Saturday in Jacksonville, they only witnessed history. On Monday in Tampa, they were a part of it.
“It was a moment that you knew it was going to happen.”
The group was sitting in the endzone where Dallas kicker Brett Maher attempted the PATs after the Cowboys’ touchdowns. Maher would miss his first 4 point after touchdown kicks, an NFL record.
As he kept missing, Slater knew the stakes.
“In the 4th one I was thinking ‘if I catch this ball I’m going to hide it no one can take it from me’ I knew it was something in history that will probably never happen again,” After he missed the 4th kick, it was a free for all for the ball. Slater played his high school football at Whiteville and was voted Most Athletic in 1995. The moment was his:
“It hit off a few people to my right, and I leaned across and just tipped it with my fingers and got it back to me and I caught it.”
“So when I played high school ball I never missed a pass. If it was close to me, I caught it.”
They safely got the ball out of the stadium and to the car to his brother. It now resides in a case in the shop. They have plans to let the NFL Hall of Fame know about it, but for now, it remains in Wilmington.
