People tend to freak out if the unexpected happens, like if their car gets stolen. However, Utah punter Tom Hackett is not like most people, and when his car was stolen over the weekend, he was able to make a joke out of the situation.
For a couple of years, Hackett has been driving a red Outback Subaru, which he claims is ironic, considering he’s from Australia.
“Old and beat up, probably worth about $1,500. So if they drop it off, it’d be nice, but if not, it’s not the end of the world,” Hackett said
On Monday morning, Hackett received a phone call from his teammate Isaac Asiata, asking him where he parked his car. It was about 6:45 a.m., and the two were planning on going to a film session. Hackett told Asiata his car was on the street, and Asiata replied that it wasn’t. Hackett brushed it off because he thought he was pulling a joke, but then he walked outside and saw the empty parking spot.
“I kind of felt like we were in a dream,” Hackett said. “[We were] just staring at each other, trying to figure out where the bloody hell my car is.”
The two still had to find a way to the football facility, though, so Hackett came up with a backup plan — his scooter.
“Me and Isaac jumped on. Isaac weighs about 330, so there [were] sparks flying out the back,” Hackett said. “We got here in time — we’re only about a minute away, thankfully, just in time to tell Coach what happened.”
Hackett showed up to film, and when he found kicker Andy Phillips, he immediately told his kicking partner his car was stolen, but he acted as if it was no big deal. He does not want to waste his time being angry at this situation.
Phillips, while initially shocked, figured Hackett’s 16-year-old car was an easy target, but is sure he would not have acted so cool during the situation.
“It’s not a hard car to steal. Anybody would be able to hop in and turn that thing with a screwdriver,” Phillips said. “Tom’s such a relaxed dude that nothing fazes him, even if his car gets stolen.”
Hackett has even broken into his own car with a nail file, so the fact that it was stolen came as no surprise.
He decided to take to social media to get the word out about his car, and it worked. Later that Monday, he got a tip. Someone had apparently spotted the car on Foothill Drive, but with skis attached to the top. Hackett has no idea where they would be going. He speculates Colorado, all the while hoping his car thieves have a good trip.
Hackett did have one request, though, and a message — that they return the car in one piece.
“Have fun, don’t do anything stupid, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Hackett said. “Just bring her back in one piece — I promise I won’t tell. Put some gas in it if you can — it’s running low. Try not to run up the miles because it’s already got a lot.”
And in one piece it was recovered, if not in the most of ideal condition. Tuesday afternoon the Salt Lake City Police Department recovered the car around 1300 S. Foothill Dr. The thieves had snapped the key in the ignition. It also smelled like cigarettes.
However, because of all the attention on Basil (the car’s name, according to Hackett), Hackett is not ready to part ways. He plans on calling a tow truck, will eventually take her to the mechanic, and then, finally, she’ll need a good cleaning.
“It’ll probably cost me more than the car itself,”Hackett said. “I feel like Basil’s gotten pretty famous, so I can’t give up on her yet.”
Although Hackett was not able to get the car right as he got the call because he had to go to practice, he is looking forward to being reunited with Basil.
“Basil and me have a good relationship,” Hackett said. “We’ve gone through many things together, ups and downs like every other relationship there is so it’d be good to see her again.”
@kbrenneisen