Fans attending the Miami Hurricanes-Appalachian State football game at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium came to see connected passes in the endzone, but spectators wound up witness to a catch of a completely unexpected kind as well. This catch saved the life of a cat and set the stadium to unified celebration.

During the first quarter of the college football game, attention turned from the field to a portion of the stadium’s upper decking. Dangling from the façade, a terrified cat clutched onto the fabric with desperate claws.

The collective breath of the spectators drew inward and held as they watched the cat try to find purchase. Fans tried to reach the terrified animal from above, but he hung too far from reach.

Tense Moment Off The Field

Cats often make appearances in stadiums, usually streaking across the field to seek a hiding place out of the public eye. Like most felines in stadiums, it’s not clear how this tuxedo cat made his way into the stands and then over the side. Regardless of how the cat came to be there, he was hanging from the high decking in grave danger.

Stadium occupants and viewers of the nationally broadcasted game watched in horror. But one couple put quick thought into motion.

Craig and Kimberly Cromer are season-ticket holders who often attend games and bring an American flag to hang from the railing in front of them. They were below the cat and knew a fall was imminent.

“I saw a cat’s butt, which at the time I didn’t know it was a cat. We just knew it was an animal, and I saw people trying to reach over and save it and the students were yelling ‘just grab it, just grab it’,” explained Craig, a facilities manager at the University of Miami. “It was beyond their reach, so as they were reaching they were actually scaring the cat downward and at that point I was like, we’re gonna have to catch the thing.”

“At one point it was hanging by two paws and then it started urinating, which was not a good thing.”

MVP Catch with a Patriotic Flair

The Cromers sprung into action, untying the flag and making ready for the fall. When the cat finally fell, the crowd released its breath in screams and shrieks. But there would be no tragic end on this day. The cat managed to right himself in the air and land in the flag held by the Cromers’ waiting hands.

“I felt it hit the flag…and the students that were directly below us had a UM flag, I believe it landed in that UM flag and they snatched it up and held it like Simba.”

Hurricane or Mountaineer, it didn’t matter what team fans were rooting for when the cat was held up in triumph for all to see. Everyone went wild in unified joy.

The cat appeared unharmed as security whisked him away to safety. As for the Cromers, they walked away okay, too, in spite of spilling a drink and getting urinated on by the terrified cat. But, cat lovers are burning to know, where is the cat now?

“I wish I knew, that’s the million dollar question,” answered Craig. 

When asked about the falling feline, Miami coach Manny Diaz said, “I don’t know anything about that or what was going on, but I’ll tell you, if the cat will help us in our red-zone offense I’m going to see if we can give it a scholarship.”

The Real Winner

While the Hurricanes claimed a 25-23 victory over the Mountaineers, the real winner of this game was the tuxedo cat caught by an MVP couple thinking fast on their feet.