The Patriots’ historic Super Bowl comeback victory Sunday also will be entered in a Vernon Hills college student’s personal record book for leading to one of the most improbable opportunities of his life.
When it looked bleakest for Tom Brady and company, John Goehrke, a junior at the University of Missouri, on a whim responded to a tweet from 22-year-old Canadian tennis star Genie Bouchard. She thought the Atlanta Falcons had it wrapped up.
“If patriots win we go on a date?” Goehrke, 20, asked Bouchard.
“Sure,” the 22-year-old tennis pro responded three minutes later.
From that point on, the game became that much more interesting for Goehrke, who at the time didn’t tell anyone about the exchange.
“I just kept it to myself,” he said Wednesday.
As the score and momentum began to shift in the third quarter, so did Goehrke’s confidence. A Patriot victory still was a longshot but Goehrke thought it would be close.
“Knowing the Patriots and knowing Tom Brady, I had a pretty good feeling they would come back,” said Goehrke, who watched the game at a friend’s apartment near campus.
Later that night, Bouchard asked Goehrke over Twitter where he lives.
“Chicago. Go to school in Missouri. We can go on a date where ever you want!” he replied, adding an emoji of a winking, smiling face.
About 20 minutes later, Bouchard tweeted “Lesson learned. Never bet against Tom Brady.”
Goehrke said Bouchard mentioned she may be able to fly him out to one of her tournaments. But as of midmorning Tuesday, the pair had not spoken and basic details such as when, where and what are to be determined. The ball is in her court, so to speak.
“I haven’t talked to her or any of her people but I assume we’ll figure something out pretty soon,” said Goehrke, who is studying marketing. “I’m thinking probably dinner for sure and one other cool, fun thing.”
Once the news broke, a torrent of well wishers begin to weigh in.
“I’m enjoying it while it lasts,” he said of the attention. “This is the first time I had to turn off my twitter notifications.”
Bouchard could not immediately be reached for comment, but said in a tweet she would honor her bet.
“Lol it made a Twitter moment. And I will do it, I stay true to my word,” she wrote.
@dhmickzawislak
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
