The specialist athlete is essentially the existential hero of a team. Which is why, when Pat McAfee, the former punter for the Colts, suddenly went viral for something other than his signature media bluster, the world blinked. Last year, he delivered a perfectly weighted dime across a 7-on-7 soccer pitch, assisting a spectacular, scissor-kick volley.

Thing is, the man who holds the Colts’ franchise record for gross punting average (46.4 yds) commented on the post last night: “Outside of family stuff… this is still one of the greatest moments of my life.” It was, he said, “HUGE for the ol’ soccer story that had a very hard, abrupt ending after high school as I turned full life attention to kicking footballs.”

This outrageous claim, made by a two-time Pro Bowl selection, tells the entire story. The former NFL icon, who was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame last month, placed this single assist above a statistically validated career. This is the eternal conflict: the dream deferred. 

A sport you love with all your heart, yet you make the difficult choice to leave it behind to pursue something that could shape your future. After high school, Pat gave up soccer and dedicated himself entirely to one goal: the NFL. It was a new dream, a new path, but one that ultimately defined his career. From aspiring soccer star to professional placekicker, Pat turned a childhood passion into a different kind of success.

So naturally, returning to that childhood dream after years, stepping onto the field, playing the game you once loved, and contributing to the scoreboard, that’s a moment of pure joy. That’s exactly what McAfee felt. Prompting him to comment even after a year.

McAfee, playing for Concafa SC against Chad Johnson’s Nati SC, was reclaiming a childhood ambition, adding 1 final shout out to his teammate: “Shahtaht @michelegrella, a paisan I was lucky enough to share a pitch with as a young lad, with THE NASTIEST VOLLEY in TST History.”

McAfee Hall of Famer

The accolades received last month are legit. McAfee was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in September, an honor that included 2 other ESPN personalities, Holly Rowe and Doris Burke, being inducted into their respective halls. It’s a triple-dip of recognition, celebrated heartily by the Worldwide Leader.

Over his career with the Colts, McAfee has 26,653 yards for 575 punts, a statistical mountain made even more remarkable by his 193 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line. That’s efficiency that stings the competition. He also departed WVU as the program’s all-time leading scorer.

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Yet, history hints otherwise about where the true emotion lies. When he first heard about the HOF nod, the former Mountaineer was genuinely moved. He told his audience, “Shed a tear when I got the news from my little brother… I am so thankful for the recognition.” He noted it was normally “something I would try and… hate,” but this call “made my soul feel good.”

The recognition is necessary, the reward for the years of grinding out excellence in a thankless specialty role. It validates the eight seasons he spent in the NFL, earning 2 Pro Bowl selections and a First-team selection2014.

Watching the video again, it was the dream that got locked away in a drawer, suddenly breaking free.