At Saint Vincent College on Monday, fans filled the stands and the surrounding hillsides to see the Steelers have their first padded practice of camp.<\/p>\n
But some fans not only came to see the team but also to see one of Pittsburgh’s favorite native sports sons, Pat McAfee, who brought his ever-popular ESPN sports analysis show back to Saint Vincent College for the second straight year.<\/p>\n
“What do you love so much about Pat McAfee?” asked KDKA’s Chris DeRose.<\/p>\n
“Ah, just because he is a Yinzer,” said Ben Gritzer from DuBois. “He played for the Colts, obviously, but I love how he talks on his show; he has the Yinzer accent.”<\/p>\n
“I’m seeing the Pat McAfee show for the fourth time today. Twice in Morgantown, last year here, and then now today,” said Trey Buckland from West Virginia.<\/p>\n
“I love how he speaks his mind. He is not afraid to ruffle some feathers and do what he believes is right,” said Elijah Warnick from Texas.<\/p>\n
“I just love talking sports, so I love his takes on a lot of stuff. And he is a Steelers fan, which I love,” said Elijah’s wife Erin.<\/p>\n
McAfee is a native of Plum, Pennsylvania, who, after playing football at West Virginia University, spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. He started “The Pat McAfee Show” as a podcast in 2017, and since its ESPN debut in 2023, it has only grown in popularity.<\/p>\n
McAfee spent nearly half an hour before Monday’s show signing autographs and taking selfies with fans.<\/p>\n
Jim Horwatt is a girls’ flag football coach in Plum, and he says McAfee hasn’t forgotten his roots and deserves a lot of credit for giving back to his community.<\/p>\n
“His foundation, the ‘We’re All Mustangs Here’ foundation, has generously supported the school district<\/a>\u00a0and all of the sports teams over the years, and it is just great that a guy contributes back to the community and the school,” Horwatt said. “Not a lot of pro athletes do that. But he has just been great, and his foundation’s been great. And he is just a great guy, and it is greatly appreciated by the school and the athletes. They can’t thank him enough.”<\/p>\n