Pat McAfee is a former All-Pro NFL punter who retired at 29, leaving $6M on the table to create content online.

The part you didn't know?

It all started with a $100 bet.

This is his wild story.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Let's start in 2004...

@PatMcAfeeShow, a senior in high school, received an invitation to a kicking competition in Miami where 100 college scouts would be in attendance.

The only problem?

He couldn't afford the $1,500 in travel costs.
2) With a verbal commitment to Kent St. already in place, @PatMcAfeeShow's parents told him to forget about the camp in Miami.

Spoiler Alert...

He didn't.

What happened next is straight out of a movie.
3) With no cash to pay for his trip to Miami, @PatMcAfeeShow quite literally "bet on himself."

McAfee borrowed $100 from a friend and entered a poker tournament against grown men in the basement of an Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh.

The best part?

He won, taking home $1,400.
4) After winning the cash necessary to attend camp in Miami, @PatMcAfeeShow impressed coaches with his leg.

McAfee made 9 consecutive field goals, starting at 25 yards & moving 5 yards out each time until he reached 65.

"The next morning, I got an offer from West Virginia."
5) From 2005 to 2008, Pat McAfee did everything at West Virginia, handling kickoffs, field goals & punting.

β€” Made 58 field goals
β€” Made 74% of attempts
β€” 3rd most field goals in WVU history

Next up?

The NFL Draft, where the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 222nd pick.
6) During his 8-year career with the Colts, Pat McAfee became one of the best punters in the NFL.

β€” 2x Pro Bowl
β€” 1st team All-Pro
β€” Punter of the Decade

The interesting part?

In 2017, at the age of 29, McAfee retired with $6M left on his contract for a job at Barstool Sports.
7) While the move is applauded today, people seem to forget how unpopular McAfee's decision was.

Here's a tweet from 2017:

"McAfee with the biggest L of 2017...Leaving the NFL, getting paid $2.5M/year to PUNT, to be a writer at Barstool Sports...I repeat, L"

And Mike Wilbon...
8) While Twitter trolls & media members couldn't believe his decision, Pat McAfee was confident.

When he retired, McAfee had 700k followers, sold t-shirts online, completed a comedy tour & hosted a radio show.

Simply put, he used the NFL as a platform to build a personal brand.
9) Pat McAfee now hosts a daily show on YouTube that is watched by 50k+ people concurrently.

The best part?

FanDuel "backed the Brinks truck up," becoming the show's exclusive sports betting partner.

Even better?

McAfee's media company is now worth more than his NFL contract.
10) In the end, I love this story for one simple reason:

Between gambling $100 for a flight to Miami & walking away from a $6M contract, Pat McAfee has consistently challenged conventional wisdom.

He bet on himself, dismissed the haters & had fun doing it.

Now that's awesome.
11) If you enjoyed this thread, you should:

1. Follow me; I tweet cool stories like this every day.

2. Subscribe to my free daily newsletter, where I give a detailed analysis on topics involving the money and business behind sports.

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Also, don't forget @AthleticBrewing is the reason I'm able to create sports business content full-time.

If you want to support me, buy some beer - it's really great stuff.

Use code "JOE25" for 25% off at athleticbrewing.com

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9 Feb
The Weeknd spent $7M of his own money and wasn't paid by the NFL for last night's halftime show at the Super Bowl.

The craziest part?

It was an investment.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡ Image
1) First, some history.

From Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry to Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga, the most famous halftime performers in history haven't been paid to perform at the Super Bowl.

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3 Feb
The best basketball player of all-time grew tired of slow play on the golf course.

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Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Let's start in 1984...

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After losing in the NCAA tournament, MJ's roommate Buzz Peterson was heading out to play golf with Davis Love III β€”Β a UNC student-athlete at the time.

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2 Feb
For the first time since 2014, EA Sports is bringing back their college football video game.

But what about name, image, and likeness?

Here's everything you need to know.

πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Launch Date

As of right now, EA Sports doesn't have a tentative date scheduled for release.

All we know is that it won't be for this upcoming season.

What about 2022?

That's more likely.
2) Teams & Licensing

EA Sports has partnered with collegiate licensing company CLC to accurately depict FBS "schools, traditions, uniforms, playbooks, and more."

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Sylvester Stallone was homeless in 1975 and had $106 to his name.

Today, he's worth over $400M.

This is the wild story of how one negotiation changed his life forever and why betting on yourself is always the right move.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Let's start in 1969...

After 3 years at the University of Miami, Sylvester Stallone dropped out of college, deciding to move to NYC to chase his acting dreams.

The interesting part?

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As if that wasn't bad enough, it got worse.
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27 Jan
On the anniversary of Kobe Bryant's death, here's a story you've probably never heard.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Let's start in 2007...

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No catchy headline or attention-grabbing joke, I wrote this thread with one single intention:

To provide context around why Hank Aaron is not only one of the most important athletes of all time but a generational figure in American history.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) To truly understand the multi-generational impact of Hank Aaron, we must first understand his past.

Growing up in the '30s & '40s in Mobile, Alabama β€” a town in the heart of the segregated South β€” Hank Aaron experienced racism his entire adolescent life.
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