Pat McAfee showed exactly why he was built for a life in the WWE when he handed out a thunderous hit on a Denver Bronco returner whilst with the Indianapolis Colts. 

WWE commenter Pat McAfee might be more famous now for his work as an announcer and occasional performer in the ring, but before he was laying the Smackdown inside the squared circle, he was having a pretty decent life as a punter in the NFL.

He has since pursued a career in broadcasting, becoming one of the most popular analysts in the NFL today, best demonstrated by the 4-year, $120m deal that he signed with betting site FanDuel to be the sponsors of his daily show. 

Having been drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, he made an impact in the league right out of the gate, being selected to the league’s All-Rookie team in his first season, but his success didn’t stop there. He continued to play until he was 29 when he was forced to retire due to a mixture of injuries and his relationship with some members of the Colts staff.

But he certainly left a legacy whilst he was in the league, as he was ranked the highest-rated punter of the decade by Pro Football Focus.

It’s hard to really pin down the best moment for a punter for their actual job, as more often than not it gets brushed aside in the grand scheme of things in the context of a full NFL game, which is why punts usually only get attention if they do back the other way.

Laying the Smackdown… literally 

Whilst kickers and punters are usually the last line of defence on a play, and more often than not just seen as an easy target for the returner to avoid, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few who are willing to put their body on the line in order to prevent a touchdown. 

And that’s exactly what McAfee did during a game back in 2013 against the Denver Broncos as he laid out Trindon Holliday when it looked as if he might take it all the way back for a touchdown:

The cheers inside the stadium tell their own story as everyone was pumped up to see McAfee put in his thunderous hit, something that would have taken many by surprise given his position. But the surprises weren’t over yet.

McAfee took to Twitter after the game to joke that his hit had got some attention around the league as he claims he was ‘randomly’ selected for a drug test afterwards. 

So if ever you find yourself impressed with how hard McAfee hits whilst he’s in the ring, just remember that he’s had it in his locker for a very long time.