ATHENS, Ohio -- Most lottery winners, upon learning they've hit the jackpot, run to the store where they played their lucky numbers to make sure, then find the nearest state lottery commission office to place a claim on their prize.
Michael Eynon did all of those things. And then he went to football practice.
Eynon, a senior offensive lineman at Ohio University, matched five numbers in Tuesday's multistate Mega Millions drawing on the ticket he bought at a Shop Mart in Athens -- good for $250,000 before taxes, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
"It hasn't settled in yet," he said, according to the report. "I've been out throwing footballs, and it's still the same routine."
The odds of matching five numbers, excluding the Mega Ball, were 1 in 3,904,701. Had Eynon matched the Mega Ball as well, he would have won the $34 million grand prize, according to the report.
"Everyone was like, 'Dude, you were one number off,'" Eynon said, according to the newspaper. "I was like, 'I'm satisfied.' This is awesome either way."
Instead of $34 million, Eynon will settle for $172,500 after federal and state taxes. According to the Dispatch, the 22-year-old accounting major from Westlake plans to donate some money to his church, give some to his family and invest the rest.
Ohio U. athletic spokesman Jason Corriher said the winnings will not affect Eynon's NCAA eligibility, according to the report.
"I've been in this business for about 10 years and I cannot remember ever hearing about a student-athlete winning a portion of the lottery," Corriher said, the newspaper reported. "It's pretty unheard of, I think."