Pat McAfee is the guest this week on The Michael Irvin Podcast. While he talks a bit about his own career in the NFL and makes some predictions for the offseason, Irvin was most fascinated by McAfee’s media career.
During his time with the Cowboys legend, Pat McAfee talked about the weekly interview with Aaron Rodgers that helped his show grow into must-listen radio for football fans and media members alike. He said it started thanks to his Twitter account, which McAfee said began to grow in popularity while he was sidelined after a public intoxication arrest. That is when Aaron Rodgers started to follow him.
From there, AJ Hawk was instrumental in connecting the two. He encouraged Rodgers to invite McAfee to his golf tournament in the Bahamas. The event was delayed for nearly six hours by a storm. During that time, Rodgers and McAfee hung out in the hospitality tent.
“Irv, I do well in those situations where everybody’s drinking, having a good time, and telling stories,” McAfee said.
He told Irvin that the two spent two hours together telling each other stories and laughing. It always stuck with McAfee that the best way to get through to Aaron Rodgers was to be genuine. That is why even now, he still limits his conversations with Rodgers off air so that he can have genuine reactions on air.
“Honestly, I didn’t know him that well,” McAfee said. “I talk to him a little off air still. I like to keep our conversations on air just like ‘I’m going to ask you basically what I want to know, but I think everyone wants to know.’ He has been so gracious with his time.”
It has paid off. Aaron Rodgers has been on The Pat McAfee Show weekly, no matter what, and rarely does his appearance last less than 40 minutes.
Pat McAfee did acknowledge that there are things about Rodgers or things he has learned Rodgers enjoys that he calls “weird.” That doesn’t mean he has any reason to dislike Rodgers or go out of his way to put the NFL MVP on blast.
“He’s just been so incredibly nice, and I think it is just because, you know, that build up of him understanding me a little bit, having an appreciation that I am always myself, like you. And I think that is what Aaron respects in the whole thing of life.”
