Name an unpredictable guy you love to hear when not watching some gridiron action… For most of us, the answer would probably be Pat McAfee. Ex-NFL punter? Check. Controversy embracer? Oh, yeah, the guy literally lives on the edge. WWE? He’s got it. So, what now? Volleyball. That’s a new one. Or is it?
Turns out, McAfee has been spiking and setting long before he was booting footballs into orbit. And now, after a viral clip of his high school volleyball days made the rounds, USA Volleyball has extended him a special invitation to train with the national team. What multiverse are we living in, eh? Yep, McAfee just got called up—this time, not to kick, but to kill… a volleyball… that is.
Meanwhile, it all started when McAfee posted an old highlight reel from 2003, back when he was a sophomore at Plum High School in Pennsylvania. “I think this was sophomore year of high school… I LOVED playing volleyball. It is a GREAT sport. 4 BALL BABY,” he captioned it. Well, it was supposed to be a simple nostalgia post.
But the USA Volleyball caught wind of it and, in a move nobody saw coming, reshared the clip with an open invite: “Sorry @patmcafeeshow, we weren’t familiar with your volley game! Come out to the National Team gym this summer!” Translation? Let’s see if the old legs still got it.
Um… We don’t want to spoil your fun but Pat’s love for Volleyball is not new. Here’s the scene: Before he was a football phenom, he was a multi-sport athlete—soccer, football, and, yes, volleyball. Hey, read this. He was not the Jack of all trades. His compeititor nature always got the better of him, and even pushed him to excel.
So, even after football took center stage, volleyball never left his system. In 2016, an onlooker spotted Pat casually dominating a beach volleyball game in Indianapolis. “I had no idea he played volleyball,” the witness told IndyStar. “Looked like he’d be pretty good.” And if you’ve ever seen McAfee’s insane leg strength, you’d believe it. Dude probably serves like a cannon.
Now, the big question: will McAfee actually take USA Volleyball up on the offer? Knowing him, it wouldn’t be shocking if he pulled up in a tank top, started yelling “BING BONG” after every spike. I mean, he just loves picking up new stuff. So, I see nothing wrong in that. Just a guy who hates monotony.
Pat McAfee, a dirt bike rider?
OK! Even by Pat McAfee’s love for thrill standards, a flip on a dirt bike wouldn’t have been on the cards… At least, it did catch us off-guard. That’s a whole new level of chaos. Yet, there he was, suited up and ready to roll with Colt Nichols, a Supercross champ who actually knows what he’s doing. So, that just gave Pat an extra ooze of adrenaline to go out and have a pop.
Now, was this McAfee’s big-time Supercross debut? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But for a guy used to punting footballs, he didn’t completely wipe out. He even took to Instagram to celebrate the moment: “BIG THANKS to @_coltnichols.. for the conversation and the pony brother First time on a dirt bike.. I’m used to heavy bikes.. I had an absolute blast (3rd Slide is abaht the action) DA-DADADA-DA-DADADA.”
If you read that without hearing his voice in your head, you might wanna re-take.
But here’s the real story—Supercross just scored a major win. So, it was something that went beyond McAfee getting a taste of the dirt. However, bringing him into the fold was part of the exposure, engagement, and a brand-new audience that might’ve never given motocross a second look.
And Nichols? Well, well, well… He was the perfect catalyst. The 2021 250SX East Champion and 2023 AMA 450SX Rookie of the Year hit McAfee’s show, cracked some jokes, and gave fans a real inside look at the sport. Now, if you know, you know: that’s a spotlight Supercross doesn’t get every day.
So, this was it. He invited Pat for a ride in the dirt… And voila that’s how we got this moment. But in the end: he was happy, we got our headlines, and Pat bookmarked it on his feed. A win-win for everyone.
The post New Career Option Opens Up for Pat McAfee With Special Invitation From National USA Volleyball Team appeared first on EssentiallySports.