Pat McAfee reveals emotional Triple H conversation backstage; tells Stephanie McMahon how WWE CCO hired him

Pat McAfee has shared his initial conversation with Triple H before he signed with WWE in February 2019. McAfee revealed how the pro wrestling legend-turned WWE Chief Content Officer hired him.

Before he became a WWE star and color commentator, McAfee was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. He played eight seasons for the Colts from 2009 to 2016 before retiring and becoming an analyst. He would establish The Pat McAfee Show, which turned into one of the biggest sports talk shows in the world.

In addition to football, Pat McAfee was a huge fan of pro wrestling and wanted to try his hand at it. McAfee revealed in an appearance on Stephanie's Places that before signing with WWE, he was looking to work in the independent circuit and test himself out.

However, Triple H wanted to work with him immediately and brought him on as an analyst before making his debut at NXT TakeOver XXX against Adam Cole in August 2020.

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"I was like, ‘Hey, I'm going to go hit the indies and, like, see if I can do this or not.’ And he was like, ‘Don't you even think about it.’ He was like, ‘You need to be doing it with us. If you're gonna do it at all, let's just figure out a good time for it,'" McAfee said. [0:28-0:42]

Pat is set to return to the ring this Saturday at WWE Backlash. He will face former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther in a one-on-one match. It'll be McAfee's first singles match since he beat The Miz at WrestleMania 39.

LeBron James saved Pat McAfee from getting fired from WWE

At the start of his WWE career, Pat McAfee was castigated by Michael Cole for wearing shorts to a formal event. McAfee felt so embarrassed that he questioned his place in the business.

However, someone shared a photo of LeBron James wearing the same outfit he was donning, so he was allowed to do his thing.

"Somebody showed a picture of LeBron James wearing shorts with a suit, and they said, 'Hey, this is, like, kind of a look these days,'" McAfee said on Stephanie's Places. [H/T: Inside The Ropes]

Despite their dust-up, McAfee and Cole made up and became best friends. Their chemistry on RAW commentary has been off the charts.

About the author

Juan Paolo David has been covering all things WWE for Sportskeeda since 2020 and has eight years of experience in content writing. He holds a degree in Agriculture but has been a fan of pro wrestling since a kid. This love for the entertainment sport led him to write about it.

Juan writes well-researched articles, not only to ensure that he presents readers with correct facts and figures but also because he wants to learn as much as possible about the topics he writes about.

Edge is Juan’s all-time favorite wrestler. He grew up watching Edge and Christian and was a huge fan of their tag team. So much so, that if he could go back in time he would manage the duo. And let them know that he can play their entrance themes with a kazoo!

Besides wrestling, Juan loves to watch NBA or a Dortmund game. He also enjoys watching TV and movies during his free time. He works as a writer in SK’s basketball division.

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Edited by Yash Mittal