90-year-old Lee Corso retired his iconic journey by putting on the Brutus headgear for his last ESPN appearance at Texas Vs. OSU matchup, marking the end of a legendary era. He handed down his seat to West Virginia alum and former NFL player Pat McAfee. Though he hardly needs any introduction. Aside from his own podcast show, His infectious energy keeps him rooted in the spotlight. However, Corso’s farewell was an emotional experience. 38 years of cherished Saturday memories pooled up in fans’ eyes, and McAfee was no different.

The reason? “I got a call from an icon who was pumped I didn’t get electrocuted,” he captioned the Instagram post. Pat McAfee didn’t take long to engineer his own bold debut stunt. A signature eye-grabbing stunt that left the internet thinking, ‘not so fast, my  friend.’ He was quick to make a splash. No, literally. Over the weekend, he picked his Miami Vs. Florida pick and dived straight into the pool, while Lee Corso chuckled his heart out. Post episode, McAfee received a call from the legend, and he got emotional.

“Hey, Pat. Great job. It was terrific,” Corso said, referring to McAfee’s performance over the weekend. On Saturday, after the College GameDay episode concluded, McAfee announced his Miami Vs Florida take in the ‘McAfee’ fashion that got the crowd hooting their heart out. He ran towards the pool, stripped down to his speedo, and plunged himself into the water. “I think the U is back, ” an enthusiastic Pat McAfee said before diving into Miami’s pool. “Give me the Hurricanes,” he yelled as the crowd erupted into cheers.

Pat further adds to the conversation. “Coach, I didn’t have the microphone in my hand when I said I was doing the pencil down on your Ticonderoga. I appreciate the hell out of you.” Corso’s signature pencil both acted as a prop and a brand endorsement for Dixon Ticonderoga.

Corso continues, a merry bunch, smiling at McAfee’s antiques. “It was great and I really enjoyed it,” Corso can be heard saying over the phone. “I wanted to let you know that I passed the torch on to a great guy.”

To which Pat gets teary-eyed. “Coach, I thank you so much for calling and saying that,” McAfee swelled up. “That’s incredibly cool. You’ve done such amazing things for this sport, obviously for this show. ” He continues. “You’ve taken it to levels that it’s never seen before, and I’m just gonna try to pay tribute, man, and do what the show deserves, if that’s alright by you.”

Corso retired after predicting OSU’s win against Texas in the season-opener. However, his legacy will continue to shine and be remembered. Fellow GameDay persona Rece Davis is determined for the ‘Lee Corso Headgear’ to remain a Corso signature antique. “I think I’m going to have to tackle anybody that tries to do a headgear pick other than Lee Corso,” Davis told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins. “That, to me, is his signature moment, and it should stay with him, in my judgement.” And so it should!

But the ESPN analyst is known for more such thrilling adventures.

Pat McAfee and his close $1M spend

The iconic pool dive ain’t the first time McAfee has grabbed headlines aside from his football opinions and takes. Remember the football twist to the basketball half-court challenge? That was McAfee’s genius. “(It) was McAfee’s idea ahead of the 2023 season,” The Athletic’s Chris Vanini claimed. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky confirmed that the West Virginia alum is the source behind all the hefty pay “behind the field goal payouts”. Didn’t he donate a million dollars to his alma mater last year? Well, undoubtedly, if there’s one thing that you can absolutely count on McAfee, it’s that he never lets boredom set in. His pumped energy is infectious and ropes you right in.

One recent thrill-seeking incident nearly cost you $1 million, and the funny part? The ESPN analyst kept betting on more. “It’s been an EXPENSIVE start to the kicking contest this season.. Since you’ve never kicked before…$300,000 from me ..$300,000 from @kirkherbstreit..NOGOOD…We will still donate $100,000 to the Pat Summitt Foundation,” he wrote on  X.

Let’s reel back to the contents of the ‘football half-court challenge’. The GameDay was set up in Knoxville for the clash between Tennessee and Georgia. A student named Gavin stepped up to kick a field goal with $600,000, but he was nervous because he had never kicked before. McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit kept pumping him the much-needed encouragement. It was the money-talking. “Since you never kicked anything, I’ll give $200,000, Herbie will give $200,000, and then we’ll add an extra $100,000 to the Pat Summit Foundation. It’s a $500,000 kick.” But more cash made its way to the announcement. Gavin missed his first attempt, and McAfee added another $600,000 to the already stacked cash bundle. Gavin kicked the ball. It hit close to the uprights, and a pumped-out McAfee was left disappointed. Although Gavin couldn’t make the goal, McAfee was close to spending $1 million and was seemingly upset when he couldn’t? That’s Pat McAfee for you!