If you’ve ever seen College GameDay, you understand it’s not just a sports program. It’s almost a road show family reunion with a football twist. Holding it all together are the hosts of College GameDay. Through the years, it’s been a dream team: Lee Corso and his eccentric headgear predictions, Kirk Herbstreit providing scorching-hot analysis, Desmond Howard making it fun and knowledgeable, and Rece Davis navigating. And Pat McAfee became a part of it at the beginning of the 2022 college football season.

But as with any close-knit group, breaking in as “the new kid” can be a bit like trying to join a band that has been jamming for decades. Consider Pat McAfee, for instance. When he came aboard GameDay, the originals gathered around him, took him under their wing, taught him the ways, offered him on-camera advice, and, perhaps most crucially, shared all the inside jokes with him. Pat got his official College GameDay debut in Austin, just ahead of the classic Alabama vs. Texas match-up. And now in the latest episode of Try That in a Small Town Podcast, Herbstreit walks us through Rece Davis‘s warm-up in the College GameDay family.

When Rece Davis first stepped into the GameDay spotlight, it could’ve been intimidating. But Kirk, who knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle through adversity and come out the other side stronger, took a proactive approach. “When you have a show like College Game Day, it’s probably like being in a band,” Herbstreit says. “You have a built-in chemistry that is very natural. And when you bring a David Pollack in or you bring some, you know, Rece Davis had to become that new guy. You know, it’s tough to fit in with that.” He continues, “what we’ve always tried to do proactively, go to dinners, hang out, make that person feel they’re part of it, and not be intimidated by you’re it’s us and you. You have to earn your way to get in here.”

When Rece Davis took over as host of College GameDay in 2015, it was a big moment. After Chris Fowler’s long tenure, passing the role to Rece was like entrusting a beloved family tradition to a new generation, with all eyes watching closely. Rece, who’d been with ESPN since 1995, was not only eager but genuinely honored and humbled to join the “brilliant men and women who have built GameDay into the sport’s defining show.” He called his first year “fun and rewarding,” crediting the GameDay crew and the fans for making him feel welcome from the very start. And Rece dove right in alongside legends like Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and Desmond Howard. That support made Rece’s transition seamless. It allowed him to enjoy and deliver those unforgettable GameDay moments, from belly laughs over ventriloquist dummies to heart-wrenching human stories in the middle of college football chaos.

Herbstreit continues, “Same with Pat McAfee. Make these guys feel part of it. And because that camera, man, it catches when you’re natural and it’s organic versus phony. You know, if you think about shows you watch, you can tell right away if it’s forced or if it’s real.” For McAfee, the current hosts made sure to bring him right in, allowing Pat’s funny and quirky personality to shine. This fellowship wasn’t on television; it was in the back-and-forth, their ease layering in McAfee’s over-the-top opinions, and how he found a groove immediately with the crew. Rece Davis never seemed out of place if he ever did feel that way. And that’s all because of two veterans ensuring even legends feel at home.

The Pat McAfee approach to criticism

When it comes to standing up for your colleagues and family, Pat McAfee doesn’t mince words. And he didn’t hold back as the fallout from the David Pollack controversy kept rippling through college football circles. The drama first exploded when some fans started blaming McAfee for Pollack’s exit from College GameDay. People were ruthless, especially on social media, and it didn’t stop at professional critiques.

In classic Pat fashion, he addressed the hate head-on. “Good afternoon, beautiful people. Little bit of a life update.. I almost had time to absolutely decapitate a grandstanding bum today.. but I decided to let him live. This is growth. I’m pretty proud. Thank you for listening, have a great day,” he tweeted, mixing humor with a very clear message that he was ready to defend himself and, more importantly, his loved ones. His message wasn’t for Pollack; there’s mutual respect there, as both have gone out of their way to say, but for those fixated on tearing people down. McAfee explained that he’s always been a fighter, quick to clap back at trolls.

He says, “I am proud of me. I may have murdered this dude,” he said, deadpan. “And every once in a while, I can do that. You know, people murder me all the time. I get murdered all the time. Everybody. New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NBC News Complex. Basically, everybody who was at ESPN before we got there, who wears a suit on a daily basis.” That’s the pressure cooker of high-profile sports media. And that is the pressure McAfee is now meeting with measured maturity. He made sure everyone knew that, while he’s more than capable of firing back, he’s channeling that energy into something more constructive, warning trolls that he’s always ready with a comeback but values his restraint more than ever before.