A gridiron fan who jokingly bought a lottery ticket after his team lost so badly and he thought his luck could not get worse, has scooped an astonishing USD 150,000 prize.

Jacob Strickland, 29, from Asheboro, North Carolina state, USA, told North Carolina Education Lottery he had just been watching his favourite team Clemson University Tigers being thrashed.

He said: “We were watching football with some friends and Clemson was getting beat terribly by Notre Dame. We were joking we should get lottery tickets because our luck couldn’t get any worse.”

He then actually did it and using an app on his mobile phone purchased a ticket, setting up a place in the 5th November Powerball draw.

He added: “It really was a last-minute thing right before the drawing.”

As a result, he scooped the USD 150,000 (GBP 125,000) prize.

He said: “It was just a day of disbelief because I’ve never won anything before.”

The amazed man then sent a screenshot to all of his friends who told him they thought it was a great joke,
and did not believe him.

He told lottery officials: “They all thought I was lying.”

He said he plans to invest some of the money and save the rest.