How Pat McAfee Transformed From a ‘Potential Quarterback’ To Professional Wrestler

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Daniel Arambur

Aug 23, 2020 | 1:34 PM EDT

How Pat McAfee Transformed From a ‘Potential Quarterback’ To Professional Wrestler

Add us on Google

Daniel Arambur

Aug 23, 2020 | 1:34 PM EDT

Pat McAfee began his stint in the NFL back in 2009. The West Virginia college graduate was drafted by Indianapolis Colts at the start of the last decade. He handled punting and kick-off duties for the Colts at the start of his career. However, he famously stepped in as an emergency quarterback in 2016. McAfee spent eight years in the NFL before announcing his retirement in 2017. His entire career was with the Colts.

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McAfee made headlines earlier today when he featured on WWE’s NXT TakeOver fight against Adam Cole. This was McAfee’s first professional wrestling appearance, three years since quitting the NFL. But how did the two-time Pro Bowler enter the wrestling industry?

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How did Pat McAfee go from playing for the Colts to professional wrestling?

Well, the short answer to this is that he did it through his stint as a ringside commentator. Post his NFL career, the Pennsylvania-born athlete started the Pat McAfee show on YouTube. Over time, McAfee played host to a list of professional wrestlers including Triple H and Adam Cole.

His shows mainly featured NFL analysis and wrestling reviews. He has been a guest host for FoxSports and was also on ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football team in July 2019. In addition to this, McAfee is also a professional stand-up comedian. He has done shows across Indiana and has a daily podcast show as well.

Can’t wait to see a few of these tonight. 💥
It's a great day to be great, @PatMcAfeeShow. pic.twitter.com/TUcSJgGnwC
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 22, 2020

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Prior to his stint with the Colts back in 2009, McAfee found himself in the middle of a match against The WarPig at an IWA East Coast show in West Virginia. His NXT debut was the result of an off-ring altercation with Adam Cole who appeared on his YouTube show two months ago. Renowned WWE star Triple H later came on McAffe’s show to invite him to the NXT TakeOver: XXX event.

Pat obliged and made his professional wrestling debut against Cole. His first venture into pro wrestling ended in defeat. However, McAfee did not rule out another appearance in the near future. Will we see the former NFL star step into the ring, sooner rather than later?

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Daniel Arambur

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Daniel Arambur is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, bringing close to a decade of experience across sports media, digital strategy, and editorial operations. He covers trade rumors, game-day matchups, and long-form NBA features, with a particular knack for spotlighting underdog narratives and momentum-shifting storylines. A journalism graduate with a postgraduate certificate in Strategic Marketing and Communications from Conestoga College, Ontario, Daniel blends statistical context with sharp, opinion-led analysis. His professional journey spans content strategy, paid media, editorial oversight, and quality analysis, giving him a rare end-to-end understanding of how sports stories are researched, positioned, and delivered at scale. Over the years, he has worked across SEO-driven publishing, audience growth initiatives, and performance-focused editorial environments, sharpening his ability to balance speed with accuracy and depth. At EssentiallySports, Daniel applies this multifaceted background to NBA coverage that is informed, structured, and reader-centric. Known for his analytical clarity and narrative instinct, he approaches the league with a storyteller’s eye and a strategist’s discipline, consistently aiming to add perspective beyond the box score. Based in Ontario, a city once home to NBA champion Jamal Murray, he harbors a long-term ambition to sit down for an exclusive conversation with the hometown star.

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