Mission Prep grad Patrick Laird makes heads-up play for Cal to open 2016 college football season

The opening play of the 2016 college football season was just strange.

First off, the game between Cal and Hawaii was being held in Sydney, Australia in front of 60,000 fans. Second, it started with an onside kick.

But the strange scene featured a name familiar to football fans on the Central Coast. Right there to recover the tricky kick-off by Hawaii was a Mission Prep alum and San Luis Obispo native — Cal running back Patrick Laird.

Laird, who spends most of his time playing special teams for the Golden Bears as a sophomore, didn’t fall back in typical return formation like the Hawaii coaches thought he might. The former star Royals running back and Tribune County Player of the Year in 2013 stayed home and came up with the big recovery to start the season.

Cal (1-0) went on to beat Hawaii 51-31.

This story was originally published August 27, 2016 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Mission Prep grad Patrick Laird makes heads-up play for Cal to open 2016 college football season."