Woman with injured leg was running seconds after winning huge NC lottery jackpot
The North Carolina Education lottery performed something of a miracle when a woman with an injured leg suddenly began running just seconds after learning she won a six-figure prize.
Marcella Hooker of Duplin County says her trouble walking is due to a recent leg injury, but that disability was quickly forgotten soon after she invested $5 in an digital online game called The Lamp: Dark Arts.
She won the 'Alakazam' jackpot, which was worth $912,326.40, lottery officials said in a news release.
'After I saw that I took off running and screaming,' Hooker told lottery officials. 'I was screaming so much it woke up the kids and grandkids.'
Odds of winning the 'Alakazam' prize are 1 in 12.9 million, lottery officials said.
Hooker traveled from her home in Warsaw about 70 miles northwest to the lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday, June 9, to get her prize. It came to $654,596 after state and federal withholdings, officials said.
'Now we can pay off the house,' Hooker told lottery officials.
Then, she'll go shopping for a new car, she said.
Online plays in The Lamp: Dark Arts range from 50 cents to $30. After Hooker won, the game restarted with a $100,000 jackpot that will keep growing until someone else wins.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Lions training camp and preseason: Early thoughts on big Detroit summer storylines
We're about a month out from the kickoff of Detroit Lions training camp. The team will have 10 camp dates open to the public beginning in late July, but the team commences practices for a few days beforehand which will have media access. I'm going through and coming up with a checklist of things I plan on watching during the weeks of training camp and preseason. Still in the organizing state and not a complete list by any means, but I thought I'd share what players and positions I hope to focus on throughout the summer for the Lions. In no particular order, this is my working checklist of things to watch in Lions training camp and preseason ahead of the quest for a three-peat atop the NFC North. Replacing Frank Ragnow The biggest question facing the Lions as they approach the 2025 season is, how does Detroit replace Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow? The heart of the offensive interior for the last several seasons, Ragnow was a bedrock piece of the Lions core. His consistency and all-around skill are not going to be easy to replace. But the Lions must try... There are several options, which we've discussed quite a bit already. Second-round rookie Tate Ratledge is the most likely long-term replacement, but he's learning center on the fly after playing right guard at Georgia. Veteran Graham Glasgow has starting experience at center in Detroit, but his play fell off badly in 2024 and he's not getting younger. Kingsley Eguakun is a player head coach Dan Campbell mentioned unprompted as a viable contender, though he's undersized entering his second season as an undrafted rookie out of Florida last year. Of course, if Ratledge or Glasgow isn't playing right guard, someone has to. Someone also has to step into the top interior reserve role, where Glasgow has thrived throughout his career; his best work at center came in injury-related relief for Ragnow and moving inside from guard. Sorting out the roles between Ratledge, Glasgow, Eguakun, fifth-round rookie Miles Frazier, vet Kayode Awosika, Netane Muti and perhaps even Colby Sorsdal and Michael Niese is going to be an arduous task for venerable OL coach Hank Fraley. Can Hendon Hooker take the next step? I've been a fairly vocal, longtime supporter and advocate for Hendon Hooker as the Lions No. 2 quarterback. I still am, but there is a lot more to prove in the summer of 2025 for the third-year QB than ever before. The Lions brought in Kyle Allen, a legit competitor for the job of backing up Jared Goff. Allen is a vet with starting experience and an interesting skillset that bridges the difference between Goff and what Hooker offers ... which to this point has proven almost entirely hypothetical. Hooker has to prove worthy of the No. QB job. It's no longer handed to him on the fact that he was a third-round pick in 2023 and a pet project of Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, among others. Potential can only last so long, and Hooker is at the point where he needs to dmeonstrate that his considerable potential can produce real NFL results. Our looks at Hooker over the last 12 months have been a frustratingly incomplete mix of "hell yeah" and "oh no". Something has to give in the coming weeks. I'm still confident in Hooker's ability to bury Allen on the depth chart and take a big step forward, but it's time for it to happen. If not, the Lions (and my own rosy draft evaluation) probably need to rethink Hooker going forward. Marcus Davenport as EDGE2 The OTA sessions weren't padded, so it's important to not get overly excited about anything in regards to the trenches from those spring sessions. Yet it was hard not to notice just how awesome (using that term literally) Marcus Davenport looked as a first-team defensive end. Yeah, I know. The injuries. Trust me, I know. His durability, or lack thereof, is a massive wet blanket on the excitement. But after seeing him moving and just looking physically so impressive, it's easily understandable why the Lions love Davenport. He is EXACTLY what Dan Campbell and new DC Kelvin Sheppard want across from Aidan Hutchinson: big, strong, long, smart, athletic, relentlessly aggressive. Davenport is the starter in that EDGE role until proven otherwise. I don't even think it's an actual competition if Davenport is healthy. Big "if", given his rather lengthy proven inability to stay on the field. I'm fascinated to see just how good the Detroit pass rush can be with a healthy Davenport, even if it's only in joint practices and training camp. Because if the Davenport we saw in 2024 and in OTAs is in the lineup, ooh baby! WR depth roles Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are the top dogs at wideout. Both topped 1,000 receiving yards a year ago and their skills and personalities nicely play off one another. After that potent combination, Detroit has some questions. Most of the answers to those questions are likely to end up being quite positive, but they do need to get answered. Vet Kalif Raymond brings a speed element to the outside, but he's rarely been more than a subpackage player. Raymond is also a dang good return specialist, a role both he and the Lions take quite seriously. Rookie Isaac TeSlaa offers outstanding size and athleticism. The third-rounder doesn't have the production pelts on the wall as a receiver, however; he was a Wing-T quarterback in high school who is still learning the nuances of playing wideout after transitioning at Hillsdale and then Arkansas. Big Tim Patrick is back after a sure-handed debut season in Detroit. The 31-year-old caught 33 passes for the Lions after missing the prior two seasons with injuries. Those injuries are a requisite part of Patrick's story, unfortunately. There are a few newcomers who are scrapping for roster spots too. Chief among them is seventh-round rookie Dominic Lovett. As a receiver, Lovett appears eminently redundant with Raymond as an undersized outside speedster without a lot of proven variety to his game. Is there room for both? We're about to find out... Ronnie Bell, Malik Taylor, undrafted rookies Jakobie Keeney-James and Jackson Meeks and the inimitable Tom Kennedy are all in the mix, too. Kennedy gets counted out every summer, yet here he is for a sixth straight offseason. This brewing battle for (likely) practice squad spots is quietly one of the most intriguing facets of Lions camp and preseason, where these aspirants figure to get considerable opportunities to prove they can be the one who can. Contract talks It's an inevitable part of the summer for every NFL team. Some players want new deals, contract extensions or more security. That's the case with defensive captain Alex Anzalone, who skipped all the voluntary workouts in search of either more money or guaranteed money in his current deal, which pays him nothing guaranteed in salary. Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams are both kicking off Year 4 as 2022 first-round picks. Detroit picked up the fifth-year options on both, so nothing has to be done this offseason; they're each under contract through the 2026 season. Yet it's common for standouts to sign extensions at this juncture. For Hutchinson especially, the price tag only goes up with each new sack artist signing extensions around the league. Questions about the long-term fates of both figure to come up frequently. New coordinators Detroit is breaking in two new, albeit familiar, coordinators in John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard. That means changes to the schemes on both sides of the ball as Morton puts his own stamp on the offense and Sheppard imparts his vision on the defense. From what little we've seen in OTAs, the changes are not going to be radical. Casual fans might not even notice changes on the offense. I'm more intrigued by the change in coaching style and persona on both sides of the ball. Morton isn't wound nearly as tightly as his OC predecessor Ben Johnson, who was an exacting tactician who harped on minutiae. It worked very well for Johnson in Detroit. The players, notably Jared Goff, thrived with Johnson's upbeat intensity. That's not Morton's personality or approach to coaching--which isn't either good or bad, just different. On defense, Aaron Glenn is the only coordinator we've known under Dan Campbell. Sheppard has been a major presence, but he's stepping up into a bigger role. Again, different. Unknown. Watching the new coordinators and how they handle practice situations, coaching their coaches, things like that, are definitely something I hope to study in training camp. We will certainly go more in-depth on all of these topics, as well as some others that materialize, over the coming weeks. It's never too early to get ready for what's coming in Lions land.
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
The most important developmental tasks for Lions' offensive coaching staff
Earlier this week, we examined the most important developmental tasks for each defensive position coach heading into 2025. We'll do the same today on the offensive side. Development isn't exclusive to draft slot or contract status. It can be a clear project reaching his potential or a good player leaping to Pro Bowl or All-Pro status. The Lions have done well to field a competitive roster with players who, more often than not, develop as expected. That's no accident. That's very much intentional. Advertisement Here's where the focus lies on offense. An obvious one here, but Hooker is the most important developmental task for Brunell — a former NFL QB himself. The Lions spent an early third-round pick on Hooker in 2023, prior to the team extending Jared Goff's contract. The thought was that Hooker would be able to provide the team with a strong backup option as they entered a window of contention, or perhaps a trade chip down the road if another team liked what they saw and made the Lions a quality offer. But where do things stand now? Hooker's rookie year was essentially a redshirt season, recovering from a torn ACL. He flashed at times in training camp and the preseason, particularly his underrated mobility. But in practices, Hooker would often hold onto the ball too long in team periods. It felt like he was overthinking and waiting for the receiver to come open instead of throwing him open. It's a mental adjustment a lot of young quarterbacks have to make. The talent is there, though. Hooker can rip it. He can run. He's mature and has all the intangibles, and you have to think the Lions will give him every chance to win the No. 2 job again in 2025, hoping he emerges better from some competition courtesy of Kyle Allen. Goff said he sees the game slowing down for Hooker. Brunell is eager to work with him this summer. Here's what he'd like to see entering Year 3: 'It's, obviously, having a grasp of our offense,' Brunell said. 'Being able to manage that, getting in and out of the huddle. We do have some new concepts in the passing game, some things we're doing a little different. Understanding the intent of every passing play and understanding our protections really well. And then when we get to the OTAs (and) we're on the field competing against our defense, just being able to execute, making good decisions with the ball, taking care of the ball, no turnovers. But also, specifically, and really what I look for, is just being really good with your fundamentals. And then in preseason, obviously, once we get out in the games and then maybe we have an opportunity to compete against other teams in practice: Moving the ball, moving your team, executing, playing at a high level.' Advertisement Big year for Hooker. Honorable mention: N/A Holmes said he woke up on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft and would've felt a 'gut-punch' if he didn't walk away with Vaki (and another player on this list). If a two-time executive of the year felt this strongly about Vaki, you can't help but keep an eye on him. Vaki, a college safety and part-time running back, impressed in small stints filling in offensively so much, he caught Holmes' attention. He said Vaki didn't even major at running back, but he looked like he could develop into one. Factor in his defensive skills and special teams contributions across the board and it's easy to see why Holmes liked him. He's a football player. The Lions are focused on turning Vaki into a quality NFL running back. He's viewed as a quick study and a mature player, entering the league at 24. He's already a good receiver out of the backfield. He's got some wiggle and short-area quickness in his game, but his physicality also shows. After spending a year with Scottie Montgomery, Vaki will now be coached by new RBs coach Tashard Choice. He likes what he sees so far. 'You know what, I am very impressed by him right now,' Choice said. 'Having a chance to have him in OTAs — his quickness, his suddenness. He works extremely hard. I know how well he's done this last year on teams, talking to Fipp a lot. And I'm back having a chance to be with the returns and seeing him move and his movement and watching tape. But this son of a gun can play. And to me, I think he's still putty where you can form him to be the player you want. But the fact that he has D-Mo, he has Jah, guys that do things the right way, he's in a position to really succeed. 'It's going to be interesting to see how well he does, because he has it in him. He has the speed, he has the quickness, and he has to tune some stuff in on his game. But the fact that he's coachable and he listens and he works at it. And so for me, it's my job to get him better.' Honorable mention: Jahmyr Gibbs. Holmes said TeSlaa was his favorite wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft. Not necessarily the best, but his favorite. The more you learn about him, the more you understand why. A lightly recruited wing-T quarterback in high school who had to go the Division-II route to learn how to play wide receiver, TeSlaa picked it up fast enough to play SEC football by the time it was all said and done. The fact that he was able to advance that quickly speaks to his intelligence and work ethic, and when you watch the tape, you see his natural athleticism and speed paired with elite size. Don't be fooled by the lack of production at Arkansas. TeSlaa's got the goods, and the Lions are confident they can get him where he needs to go. Advertisement Montgomery has already seen it. 'Number one thing was poise. We threw a lot at him mentally. I challenged him, put him at multiple positions to see if he could handle that. Brought him along as fast as we could. He didn't blink an eye,' Montgomery said of TeSlaa. '…He has to prove it, continue to make those jumps as the competition level rises. …But what you saw is a guy that definitely belonged, and his physical talent and ability showed that not only did he belong, but he's exactly what we thought he was at this point in time. 'Just gotta grow and develop as a player and unlock the smaller details of what we do, but a great example, though, if you will, of a guy working his way into what he is, not just one of those guys that hits a height, weight and speed. …This is a guy that has worked to get to where he is. Really happy to have him where he is right now.' The draft capital the Lions spent to acquire TeSlaa — a late third-round pick and two 2026 thirds for No. 70 overall — was steep. But they're betting on his work ethic, intangibles, athleticism and their staff here. TeSlaa developing into a quality receiver on his hometown team would be a hell of a story. We'll see if he gives us something to write about. Honorable mention: Jameson Williams. The tight end room consists of a Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent in LaPorta, a steady No. 2 in Brock Wright, then the likes of Shane Zylstra, Kenny Yeboah and UDFAs Zach Horton and Luke Deal. Given the direction the Lions went when Steve Heiden left to become Aaron Glenn's offensive line coach in New York, I'll go with LaPorta. And not just because he's one of the most important players on the roster. LaPorta set records as a rookie and was an instant impact as a receiver. His ability to contort his body, make contested/full-extension catches and generate yards after the catch made him a player defenses needed to focus on as a rookie. As a sophomore, though, as teams paid more attention to him and weapons like Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs stepped up in the passing game, LaPorta's production dipped. It coincided with some nagging injuries LaPorta was playing through, too. And yet, he finished sixth among tight ends in receiving yards as a No. 3 option, while most of the players ahead of him were No. 1 or 2 options. Advertisement All that to say, LaPorta has this receiving thing down. His new position coach, Tyler Roehl, wants to see where he can take his game as a blocker. 'With Sam, natural. Just real natural feel in the pass game. Where can I continue to add value for him in the run game? He's got the right mindset and intent. You can tell that he has a really good foundation to build upon. There are small things in the run game that I can help out with, but talking about no ego, about the team, high capacity to learn, and an unbelievable work ethic. He's–just our communication and the way he goes about his work, excited to continue to help add value to his game.' It starts with mindset and intent, as Roehl stated. Not all tight ends want to block and it shows. LaPorta does. And while it doesn't always look pretty, it can be effective. Roehl is a former running back/fullback who coached tight ends and running backs at the collegiate level before making the jump to the NFL. This seems to be his area of expertise. If LaPorta, already a willing blocker, can become a true asset in that department, he'll truly have zero holes in his game. Honorable mention: Horton, Deal. You could make an argument for a few different players. Christian Mahogany needs continued development after flashing as a rookie in 2024. Current rookies Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier could be key pieces for the future — and Ratledge specifically should be a Day 1 starter. Even Kingsley Eguakun could develop into an intriguing piece. However, in my opinion, it's easier to find quality guards than a quality tackle. And Manu has the tools to be just that. Remember that tidbit about Holmes waking up knowing he needed to walk away with two players on Day 3 of the 2024 draft? Vaki was one, Manu was the other. A bit of a hidden gem, the Lions felt the need to trade a 2025 third-rounder for Manu, with the notion that other teams were lurking behind them. What they saw was a player born in Tonga, tucked away in Canada. He was raw, but my goodness, the tools. A 6-foot-7 frame, great explosion, a player who moves well in space and a no-nonsense mentality are all great foundational characteristics of a potential starting tackle. Add in Hank Fraley and veterans who want to help, and the Lions have one of the better situations for a young lineman to be dropped into. And while his footwork and fundamentals needed an overhaul, that's what the 2024 season was for. Advertisement 'I liked where he ended last year, where he was with his play, where his demeanor was, where he really was, assignment-wise. He really did a good job, and he grew every day,' Fraley said of Manu. '…He does have a physical presence about him and he can exert his physicality on the field. That's what I think you got to see later in the year. Now it's — can he take that next step? It's a huge step. It's no longer, hey, we're trying to get all your base and balance right. There was a lot we changed with him. 'I told him when we drafted him there was going to be a lot that I was going to change how he did things. …Tweak that foot there, turn your toe out, place your hands here, all that. All these little things, he's heard me a whole year saying it and it's — can I take this, and now, without thinking of all these little things that come into play, can I keep playing fast? I think that's what we're going to see.' The blueprint for a player like Manu is Philadelphia's Jordan Mailata. That's a lofty goal, of course, but even if he can develop into a quality tackle — like Taylor Decker — it would give the Lions a young offensive line to build around when others leave or retire. Penei Sewell will be the face of the next wave, but guys like Mahogany Ratledge, Manu and Frazier could join him. Honorable mention(s): Ratledge, Frazier, Eguakun. We'll end with special teams, and even though he's a coordinator and not a position coach, this is an important pairing. Last training, when the Lions signed UFL phenom Jake Bates, it was met with excitement. He made crucial, booming kicks at Ford Field months before he would do so for the Lions, playing for the Michigan Panthers. His leg strength was a sight to behold and gave him NFL upside. The Lions beat out the Packers, among others, for his services. But Bates had rough patches. In training camp, he'd miss badly from short and connect with ease from a distance. Fipp attributes some of that to not having a full offseason to rest, going from the UFL straight to the NFL. But there is a mental element involved in playing that position. It's just you and your thoughts, and Bates is one to isolate. If he was in his head at one point, you wouldn't know it when the season started. He connected on 26 of his 29 attempts, including 6-of-8 from 50-plus yards, with some clutch kicks along the way. Advertisement While Fipp cautions that kicking is fluid year-to-year based on what's asked of the player and the conditions around him, he believes there's more in Bates. The Lions will play more outdoor games than they did a year ago, which Bates will need to be ready for. They'll continue to tinker with kickoff strategies. But Bates proved he belonged last year. 'I think the biggest thing with him is just continuing to progress,' Fipp said. 'Keep his confidence up. I said a year ago at the very beginning of the year, he's gonna have some ups and downs, and we're gonna stick with him. And I'll say the same thing this year: he's going to have some ups and downs and we're going to stick with him. …I feel great about him. Just watching him, I can tell and you can see that he's a lot more confident, he's a lot more sure of what's going on around him. …I'm excited for him. He looks great. And I think the guy's gonna be a great player in this league.' Honorable mention(s): LS Hogan Hatten, P Jack Fox, Vaki, Dan Jackson. (Top photo of Sione Vaki: Daniel Bartel / Imagn Images)
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Woman with injured leg was running seconds after winning huge NC lottery jackpot
The North Carolina Education lottery performed something of a miracle when a woman with an injured leg suddenly began running just seconds after learning she won a six-figure prize. Marcella Hooker of Duplin County says her trouble walking is due to a recent leg injury, but that disability was quickly forgotten soon after she invested $5 in an digital online game called The Lamp: Dark Arts. She won the 'Alakazam' jackpot, which was worth $912,326.40, lottery officials said in a news release. 'After I saw that I took off running and screaming,' Hooker told lottery officials. 'I was screaming so much it woke up the kids and grandkids.' Odds of winning the 'Alakazam' prize are 1 in 12.9 million, lottery officials said. Hooker traveled from her home in Warsaw about 70 miles northwest to the lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday, June 9, to get her prize. It came to $654,596 after state and federal withholdings, officials said. 'Now we can pay off the house,' Hooker told lottery officials. Then, she'll go shopping for a new car, she said. Online plays in The Lamp: Dark Arts range from 50 cents to $30. After Hooker won, the game restarted with a $100,000 jackpot that will keep growing until someone else wins.
