McAfee: Infamous night of partying saved my NFL career
Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee may be known as one of the best at his position now, but he first became famous for a night of partying in 2010.
According to the man himself, he couldn't have one without the other.
On Oct. 20, 2010, police found a 23-year-old McAfee - then in his second NFL season - shirtless, soaking wet, and very drunk in a parking lot. He spent the night in jail, where his father couldn't bear to speak to him over the phone, and exited the following morning, surrounded by news cameras. He was driven to the team facility, informed that he was fined and suspended, and was sent home with a team equipment manager.
"'I can't believe I'm that guy,'" McAfee recalled telling himself, according to Zak Keefer of the Indy Star. "At that moment, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear."
Six years later, McAfee has an All-Pro year under his belt and currently holds the second-longest punt distance average in the league.
"If it wasn't for that evening, I certainly wouldn't be in the NFL right now," McAfee said. "I wouldn't have been able to keep up with how I was living and still perform at a good level. ...
"I was partying pretty hard right then. I was 21, 22, first time having a little money. I had money and it was awesome. (After my rookie year) I could basically do whatever I wanted. I was living, living, living. I just carried that into my second season. I was going out and having a good time, living pretty hard, pretty reckless."
After flipping through the coverage from major and local media outlets with his father, who had calmed down after the initial phone call from jail, McAfee decided he needed to change his ways.
Not only is McAfee now one of the league's best punters, he's one of the most well-liked players in Indianapolis. He also started his own foundation and has a part-time career as a stand-up comedian.
- With h/t to FOX Sports