Patrick Justin McAfee is a former professional wrestler and wrestling colour commentator, a former football punter and kickoff specialist. Notably, McAfee was as a guest commentator for WWE’s NXT TakeOver events in 2018 prior to signing a contract with the promotion early in the following year.
McAfee also had a memorable career in the National Football League. He was a placekicker at West Virginia before he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft as a college student.
He had a rookie year to remember, playing in the Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints before going on to make two Pro Bowls and feature in the All-Pro in 2014.
He currently presents The Pat McAfee Show on YouTube which is set to be aired on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN’s YouTube channel this fall.
- Early Life
McAfee was born in Pittsburgh to Tim and Sally in 1987. He grew up playing Soccer, Volleyball and football whilst attracting interest for all three sports while he was at Plum High school. Even as a high school senior, McAfee gave himself hope against hope by borrowing $100 from a friend to fund a trip to Miami to participate in a national competition for the best field goal kicking prospects in America.
He staked the $100 to play poker at an illegal club and got $1,400 in return to draw closer to his dream of showcasing his skills on a bigger stage. The dividends of these efforts was a scholarship offered to him by West Virginia’s recruiting coordinator, Tony Gibson after a productive performance in which he made nine straight field goals despite starting at 25 yards and moving five yards out each time. The scholarship was awarded to him after narrowly missing a 70-yard field goal.
McAfee became the school record holder for all-time scoring with a field goal, passing Steve Slaton who went on to become a running back in the NFL for Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and the Toronto Argonauts.
He ended his senior year with a career-best 44.7 yards per punt average, a Big East-leading 23 punts inside the 20-yard line, and a career-high 2,639 yards with a 65-yard long. McAfee was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, losing out to Matt Fodge.
- A Prolific Talent with a High Ceiling
McAfee was drafted in the seventh round with the 222nd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts where he spent eight success-laden years. His talent passed the eye test as he got signed before training camp. He adapted into the team quickly, already handling punting and kick-off duties in 2009. He finished the year in the NFL All-Rookie Team.
McAfee went on to become part of the team that won the AFC South, the AFC Championship and reached Super Bowl XLIV. His growth continued in an upward trajectory and earned a five-year contract to remain with the Colts.
He was included in the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September 2014 and set the pace in punting average (45.6 yards) and touchbacks on kickoff (24), and converted the NFL’s only two successful onside kicks in the first four weeks of the season.
Barely a year later, McAfee was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl and on January 2, 2015, he was selected by the Associated Press as the First Team All-Pro punter.
Citing a knee operation which was his third in four seasons, as well as his fractured relationship with Colts’ general manager Ryan Grigson, McAfee brought his career to an end on February 2, 2017.
The WWE commentator earned over $19 million from his salary. His five-year contract renewal earned him an $14 million contracts in 2014 with a guaranteed $5 million. Prior to that, he earned around $4.7 million with his team during the previous five seasons.
- Smooth Sailing into Sportscasting
Having seamlessly transitioned from his star-of-the-show status on the pitch, his expert analysis and insightful football commentary paved way for unique opportunities, including guest appearance for Fox Sports’ college and NFL broadcasts in the fall of 2018.
McAfee got his big break in July 2019 when he was announced as an integral member of ESPN’s prestigious Thursday Night College Football team. Regularity and consistency in the delivery of engaging content earned him a groundbreaking 5-year contract worth $85 million with ESPN.
- Par McAfee Net Worth
He now has an estimated $30 million net worth earnings and is signed up to lucrative endorsements with notable betting brands such as FanDuel, DraftKings, Lululemon, and Twitch which have all established an in endorsement worth a mammoth $120 million.
McAfee signed the four-year deal with FanDuel back in December 2021 and managed to keep all endorsement and his usual media engagements together by retaining creative control of his show.
He used his huge media following to promote some of the best NFL betting offers available on the FanDuel brand and remains an invaluable asset to the sports book which has established itself as the preferred sportsbook for most customers in the United States.