Neal Brown discusses what Pat McAfee has meant to West Virginia

College football head coaches are always looking to get former players and alumni involved in their program, especially when they come from an era of success. West Virginia‘s Neal Brown is no different but he has a different case on his hands with Pat McAfee being one of the school’s most prominent alumni.

McAfee retired from the NFL in 2016 and has become one of the most recognizable names within the sports media world. Whether he is hosting his daily show, broadcasting NFL/college football games, or appearing in WWE events, McAfee has been all over the place and becoming a polarizing figure.

Brown was recently on a Twitter Space and talked about what McAfee has meant to West Virginia since exploding into an internet superstar. He said the former punter has given a ton back to the program and made a bold claim on where McAfee sits among Mountaineer greats.

“As his profile’s risen, he’s given a tremendous amount back,” Brown said. “He’s definitely one of the all-time great West Virginia Mountaineers.”

McAfee spent four seasons with the Mountaineers, handling both kicking and punting duties. On field goals, he made 73.4% of his attempts but saw a huge boost during the 2008 season at 85%. From a PAT perspective, McAfee only missed two of 212 throughout his entire career.

Punting was not in the cards until McAfee’s sophomore season. He averaged 43.7 yards per punt over 126 attempts. Numbers like that prove to be pretty good for the brand.

The Indianapolis Colts selected McAfee in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft where he enjoyed an eight year career. McAfee was relieved of kicking duties and was a full-time punter for the organization. He was able to play in the Super Bowl as a rookie against the New Orleans Saints.

Post football playing days, McAfee worked for Barstool Sports before working for himself more. He has made appearances on ESPN and FOX but now hosts his own daily show on YouTube. FanDuel recently gave his $120 million over four years to be the sole provider of odds on his show.

Even so, the media success would not change how McAfee feels about the West Virginia program. Being the high-intensity, hilarious character he is, McAfee would have found a way to get involved with the Mountaineers and promote their brand. Getting former players back on campus is always a plus but somebody like McAfee can send ripple effects.