Pat McAfee’s journey from an NFL punter to one of sports media’s biggest personalities has opened doors far beyond football. McAfee is set to make his feature-film debut in Peter Berg’s World War II film The Mosquito Bowl, where he plays a Marine drill instructor (DI). Behind his success is a college coach whose influence continues to resonate with McAfee as he enters Hollywood.
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“So I think my college football coach, Rich Rodriguez, would be somebody who could take that type of role in my life,” McAfee said when a Marine Corps sergeant asked him who played the role of a DI in his life, breaking him down and building him back up, during an interview.
“I was 18 when I showed up there, much like the recruits that show up at Parris Island or over in San Diego. Didn’t have a lot of things going on, I think, and didn’t really know what I was going to be, and Rich Rod’s attention to detail and accountability changed me forever. Also, our strength coach, Mike Barwis.”
McAfee arrived at West Virginia University from Plum High School in suburban Pittsburgh to start his football career. As McAfee credits, Rodriguez helped mold him into the person he is today.
McAfee became one of WVU’s most decorated kickers and punters under his guidance and finished his college career third in program history in both field goals made, with 58, and punting average, at 43.7 yards. He then made it to the NFL and played for Indianapolis for eight years before becoming a media mogul.
One story from McAfee’s recruitment days still stands out. Rodriguez once recalled that a recruiter was so impressed by the sound of McAfee striking the football that he claimed he could judge the kicker’s ability without even watching him in person.
As a coach, Rodriguez might have been tough on the punter, but he also trusted him enough to not care about his curfew. He even joked, “As long as he would make those kicks and be good at punting, I was fine with it.”
He understood that McAfee loved interacting with people, and rather than putting a stop to it, he let him. McAfee said his preparation for the role kept bringing Rodriguez to mind.
“As I was learning about the DIs, I actually thought to myself on many occasions that Rich Rodriguez would have been a phenomenal drill instructor. But I think Rich Rodriguez was the person who broke me down and then built me back up into the person that I am, much like a DI does for the Marines,” McAfee added.
Their relationship dates back to 2005 and has remained strong since then. When Rodriguez left WVU for Michigan in 2007, fans were devastated. Many people called out McAfee for still being in touch with the former head coach who left them high and dry.
However, even after this, their relationship endured, and they were seen on many occasions together. After 17 years, Rodriguez made a comeback to Morgantown, and McAfee was a vocal advocate for the move. Rodriguez was hired for his second stint as head coach in December 2024.
Returning to the interview, McAfee was also asked what was most important to him as a person: values of honor, courage, and commitment, and he was ready with his answer.
“I feel like honor kind of takes everything into account,” McAfee said. “Because whenever you’re doing anything, especially if you’re a Marine, do you understand that? You’re honoring the Marine Corps. You’re honoring the United States of America. If you have courage, you’re honoring your family; you’re honoring everybody. So I think honor is the most important part of life, and I think everything that I’ve learned from the Marine Corps through this entire process of trying to be this DI and trying to represent. I mean, what an impossible task.”
The film will show whether McAfee’s on-camera range matches his reach as a broadcaster, while WVU’s results under Rodriguez will show whether their reunion pays off on the field. For now, McAfee’s own words make the point: the accountability he picked up at 18 still shapes how he approaches each new challenge.