History of Pat McAfee in Timeline

Pat McAfee is a multifaceted American personality. He is a former NFL punter turned sports analyst, known for his energetic and unfiltered style. McAfee hosts "The Pat McAfee Show," a popular sports talk show featuring interviews and commentary. He is an analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay" and also works with WWE as a commentator and occasional wrestler. McAfee's success stems from his genuine personality, humor, and ability to connect with audiences across different platforms.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

May 2, 1987: Pat McAfee's Birth

On May 2, 1987, Patrick Justin McAfee was born. He later became a sports analyst, color commentator, former professional football punter, and kickoff specialist.

2007: Lou Groza Award Semi-Finalist

In 2007, Pat McAfee was named to the 2007 Lou Groza Award semi-finalist list and earned Big East Special Team Player of the Week honors three times, as well as being named second-team All-Big East.

March 22, 2009: IWA East Coast Wrestling Match

On March 22, 2009, Pat McAfee participated in a wrestling match against The WarPig at an IWA East Coast show, winning via low blow and superkick.

2009: Signed by the Colts and Named to All-Rookie Team

In 2009, Pat McAfee was drafted and signed by the Indianapolis Colts and named to the 2009 NFL All-Rookie Team.

2009: Senior Bowl and All-Star Challenge

In 2009, Pat McAfee was invited to the Senior Bowl in Alabama and participated in the State Farm College Football All-Star Challenge, winning the "round the world" kicking competition.

2009: Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts

In 2009, Pat McAfee was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

October 20, 2010: Arrest for Public Intoxication

On October 20, 2010, Pat McAfee was arrested and charged with public intoxication in Indianapolis. He was later suspended by the Colts for one game.

November 2011: Hair Donation to Locks of Love

In November 2011, Pat McAfee cut his hair for Locks of Love, donating to provide hairpieces for children suffering from long-term illness.

2011: Punting Average

In 2011, Pat McAfee maintained a 46.6-yard punting average for the season.

January 4, 2014: Locker Room Photo Incident

On January 4, 2014, Pat McAfee tweeted a photo from the Colts locker room and was fined $10,000 by the Colts organization.

September 2014: AFC Special Teams Player of the Month

In September 2014, Pat McAfee was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.

December 23, 2014: Selected for First Pro Bowl

On December 23, 2014, Pat McAfee was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl.

2014: All-Pro Selection

In 2014, Pat McAfee was named an All-Pro during his NFL career.

January 2, 2015: Named First Team All-Pro

On January 2, 2015, Pat McAfee was selected by the Associated Press as the First Team All-Pro punter.

2015: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

In 2015, Pat McAfee earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week against the Tennessee Titans.

February 5, 2016: Guinness World Record for Blindfolded Field Goal

On February 5, 2016, Pat McAfee achieved a Guinness World Record by successfully kicking a 40-yard field goal while blindfolded.

May 2016: Shirts for America Company Creation

In May 2016, Pat McAfee created Shirts for America to sponsor IndyCar driver Conor Daly and support the Pat McAfee Foundation and Wish for Our Heroes.

December 20, 2016: Named to Second Pro Bowl

On December 20, 2016, Pat McAfee was named to his second Pro Bowl.

2016: Stand Up Comedy Routines

During his final season with the Colts in 2016, Pat McAfee began to perform stand up comic routines about his time in the NFL.

2016: Stand-Up and Radio Appearances

In 2016, Pat McAfee engaged in stand-up events around Indiana and became a regular on The Bob & Tom Show, based in Indianapolis.

February 2, 2017: Retirement from NFL

On February 2, 2017, Pat McAfee retired from the NFL and announced he would join Barstool Sports.

February 2017: Retirement from Football

In February 2017, Pat McAfee retired from professional football and transitioned to becoming a football analyst.

June 2017: Professional Wrestling Training

In June 2017, Pat McAfee briefly trained as a professional wrestler with Rip Rogers for Barstool Sports.

March 2018: NXT Appearance and Interference

In March 2018, Pat McAfee appeared at an NXT show in Indianapolis, interfering in a match between Adam Cole and Aleister Black, ultimately helping Black win.

August 31, 2018: Separation from Barstool Sports

On August 31, 2018, Pat McAfee announced his separation from Barstool Sports.

September 23, 2018: World Record Surpassed

On September 23, 2018, Davis Brief surpassed McAfee's Guiness World Record by kicking a 45-yard field goal while blindfolded.

November 24, 2018: College Football Broadcasting Debut

On November 24, 2018, Pat McAfee made his college football broadcasting debut on Fox.

2018: Incorporation of Pat McAfee Inc.

In 2018, Pat McAfee incorporated Pat McAfee Inc. (PMI) after departing from Barstool Sports.

2018: Professional Baseball Debut

In 2018, Pat McAfee made his professional baseball debut for the Washington Wild Things, playing right-fielder and guest first base coach.

2018: Guest Commentator for WWE NXT TakeOver

In 2018, Pat McAfee served as a guest commentator for WWE's NXT TakeOver events.

2018: NXT Pre-Show Analyst

In 2018, Pat McAfee started appearing on WWE programming as a pre-show analyst for NXT TakeOver events.

2018: Guest Host for Fox Sports

In late 2018, Pat McAfee was a guest host for Fox Sports' college and NFL broadcasts.

February 2019: Engagement to Samantha Ludy

In February 2019, Pat McAfee became engaged to his girlfriend, Samantha Ludy.

February 2019: Signs WWE Contract

In February 2019, Pat McAfee formally signed a multi-year contract with WWE.

February 2019: Signs with WWE

In February 2019, Pat McAfee signed a contract with WWE.

July 29, 2019: Joins ESPN's Thursday Night College Football Team

In July 2019, Pat McAfee was announced as part of ESPN's Thursday Night College Football team.

July 29, 2019: Joins ESPN as Color Analyst

On July 29, 2019, Pat McAfee joined ESPN as the color analyst for their Thursday Night College Football broadcasts.

August 7, 2019: Deal with DAZN and Westwood One

On August 7, 2019, it was reported that Pat McAfee would host The Pat McAfee Show, syndicated by DAZN and Westwood One.

September 9, 2019: The Pat McAfee Show Launch

On September 9, 2019, Pat McAfee began hosting The Pat McAfee Show, syndicated by DAZN and Westwood One.

2019: Workout with the Chicago Bears

During the off-season in 2019, Pat McAfee worked out with the Chicago Bears as a placekicker.

2019: Wrasslin' With Sports Entertainment

In 2019, The Best Wrestling Show, formerly known as Wrasslin' With Sports Entertainment, aired one episode.

August 1, 2020: Marriage to Samantha Ludy

On August 1, 2020, Pat McAfee married Samantha Ludy at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, Indiana. Bob Kevoian officiated.

August 2020: Parted Ways with DAZN

In August 2020, Pat McAfee and DAZN parted ways due to McAfee's disdain for FCC regulations on terrestrial radio.

September 2020: The Pat McAfee Show moves to Sirius XM

In September 2020, The Pat McAfee Show moved to Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports Radio.

2020: Rumors of Steelers Comeback

During the 2020 NFL season, there were rumors of Pat McAfee coming out of retirement to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2020: Donation to Barstool Fund

In 2020, Pat McAfee donated $200,000 to the Barstool Fund to provide relief to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: WWE NXT In-Ring Debut

In 2020, Pat McAfee feuded with Adam Cole and made his WWE NXT in-ring debut at TakeOver XXX.

2020: Sideline Reporter for XFL

In 2020, Pat McAfee worked as a sideline reporter for some XFL games.

March 2021: The Best Wrestling Show brought back

In March 2021, PMI brought back The Best Wrestling Show, formerly known as Wrasslin' With Sports Entertainment.

April 16, 2021: Joins SmackDown as Color Commentator

On April 16, 2021, WWE announced that Pat McAfee had been moved to the SmackDown brand, serving as color commentator alongside Michael Cole.

September 16, 2021: Mike Tomlin's admiration

On September 16, 2021, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed his admiration for Pat McAfee.

December 9, 2021: Sponsorship agreement with FanDuel

On December 9, 2021, Pat McAfee announced a sponsorship agreement with FanDuel.

2021: That's Hockey Talk Co-Host Change

In 2021, Mike Rupp replaced A. Q. Shipley as co-host of That's Hockey Talk.

2021: PMI moves base of operations

In 2021, Pat McAfee announced plans to move PMI's base of operations to Lawrence, Indiana.

2021: Donations to Various Causes

In 2021, Pat McAfee donated over $6 million to various causes, including sports teams at his hometown high school, a children's hospital, and a football program.

March 3, 2022: Interview with Vince McMahon and WrestleMania Match

On March 3, 2022, Pat McAfee interviewed Vince McMahon on The Pat McAfee Show, which led to McMahon offering McAfee a match at WrestleMania 38.

August 2022: Sirius XM stops airing show

In August 2022, Sirius XM stopped airing The Pat McAfee Show.

September 2022: Returns to ESPN

In September 2022, Pat McAfee returned to ESPN as a full-time analyst on College GameDay.

September 2022: Nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

In September 2022, Pat McAfee was named as one of the modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2022: Match with Baron Corbin

In 2022, Pat McAfee worked a match with his friend and fellow wrestler, Baron Corbin, at SummerSlam.

January 28, 2023: Surprise Return at Royal Rumble

On January 28, 2023, Pat McAfee made a surprise return for commentary at Royal Rumble right before the men's Royal Rumble match began.

May 4, 2023: Welcomes First Child

On May 4, 2023, Pat McAfee and his wife Samantha Ludy welcomed their first child, a daughter.

May 2023: The Pat McAfee Show Moves to ESPN

In May 2023, ESPN announced that The Pat McAfee Show would move to its platforms under a multi-year deal. This move was motivated by increased access to production assets and sports league rights.

August 17, 2023: The Pat McAfee Show Debut on ESPN

On August 17, 2023, it was announced that The Pat McAfee Show would debut on ESPN, ESPN+ and YouTube on September 7, 2023. This was set to coincide with the 2023 NFL season opener.

September 7, 2023: The Pat McAfee Show Premieres on ESPN

On September 7, 2023, The Pat McAfee Show premiered on ESPN, ESPN+, and YouTube, coinciding with the start of the 2023 NFL season. This move was part of a multi-year deal with ESPN.

January 27, 2024: Returns at Royal Rumble as Commentator and Entrant

On January 27, 2024, Pat McAfee returned at Royal Rumble as a surprise guest commentator and surprise entrant at #22 in the men's Royal Rumble match, eliminating himself.

December 14, 2024: Returns to WWE Commentary

On December 14, 2024, Pat McAfee returned to WWE to call Saturday Night's Main Event.

January 6, 2025: Full-Time Commentator on Raw

On January 6, 2025, Pat McAfee returned on the premiere of Raw on Netflix, partnering with Michael Cole as a full-time commentator.

2025: Commentary on Raw on Netflix

In 2025, Pat McAfee partnered with Michael Cole for commentary on Raw on Netflix.