In one of the strangest and most inspiring moments of the 2025 NFL season, rookie kicker Tyler James of the Los Angeles Rams made headlines by winning Sunday’s game—completely barefoo

With the Rams trailing the Seahawks 24–23 and only 2 seconds on the clock, the team’s regular kicker went down with a sudden cramp. Enter Tyler James, a 22-year-old undrafted rookie from a small D-II college in North Dakota. One problem: he didn’t have his cleats on—he had been standing barefoot on the sideline during warmups, jokingly telling teammates he kicks better “feeling the grass.”

Nobody expected the joke to become reality.

But with no time left to change gear, and no one else to take the shot, Tyler jogged onto the field barefoot—and nailed a 47-yard field goal with the calm of a seasoned pro. Final score: Rams 26, Seahawks 24.

“That kid’s got ice in his veins,” Coach McVay said.

Social media exploded within minutes. The hashtag #BarefootBoom trended on X (formerly Twitter), and videos of the moment have racked up more than 12 million views on TikTok.

Fans are already calling him “Shoeless James,” a nod to the legendary baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson, but in gridiron form.

A New Folk Hero?

James later told reporters:

“I honestly didn’t expect to play today, let alone go out there without shoes. But I wasn’t about to let the moment slip. I’ve done it barefoot since I was a kid—it just felt right.”

His college coach confirmed: “He’s been kicking like that since high school. He only puts cleats on for the NFL.”

A Marketing Goldmine?

According to league insiders, Nike and Crocs are both reportedly in early talks to sign Tyler James for an endorsement deal—with fans jokingly asking for a “signature barefoot cleat.” The Rams team store even started selling “Barefoot Kicker” socks that sold out in less than an hour.

Whether this moment was a fluke or the beginning of a viral legend, one thing’s for sure: Tyler James just went from nobody… to NFL sensation.