[WATCH] Pat McAfee Pops Out of a Coffin to Teach Peyton Manning the Perfect Punt

Before Pat McAfee started wearing vests and suits and started dominating the broadcasting world with his highly entertaining show, he was an All-Pro Punter, who played in the NFL for 8 seasons. Drafted by the Colts in 2009, he had the opportunity to share the court with Hall-of-Famer quarterback Peyton Manning. Nevertheless, years after hanging up his cleats, McAfee now plans to do what he loved doing on the football field again, but this time only for his old buddy.

The former punter collaborated with Peyton and his Omaha Productions to teach the lost art of Coffin Corner Punts. In a hilarious video uploaded by Omaha Productions, both former Colts teammates revisited their home turf, Lucas Oil Stadium, inside a limousine. To anyone’s surprise, Manning, dressed in all-black funeral attire, stepped out of the Limo with a coffin.

The former shot-caller, with the help of a few youngsters, went on to place the coffin between the end zone and the 10-yard line — and when it was opened, McAfee rose from it like a dead man, coming alive with the sole wish of punting again. The duo discussed the art of punting by talking about legends like Ray Guy and how punters played a pivotal role in winning championships.

Notably, Ray Guy became the first punter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, opening the way for other punters. He was one of the founding fathers of Coffin Corner, punting where the pigskin lands inside the goal line and the 10-yard line before going out of bounds from the sideline. McAfee, alongside Peyton, aimed to recreate a coffin punt on the show.

Attempting to replicate this complicated kick, McAfee gave it a few tries, and after a while, he ended up successfully putting the ball in the coffin they placed near the goal line. Even Manning chimed in, punting a few times and almost nailing that corner punt. Interestingly, their conversation also revealed that before Punting became a recognized position, it was the quarterback’s job to punt the ball.

Pat McAfee Reveals Punting Was Once a Quarterback’s Job

Punting may not be the most glorious job and punters barely get recognition, but if you ask Pat McAfee, it is the most important position on the football field after Quarterback. So before punting became a main job, quarterbacks had to execute these plays. The name Sammy Baugh comes to mind. He was an excellent QB and a real gunslinger, but boy, did he love to punt.

Sid Luckman was another QB whose punting abilities gave the Bears an added advantage. Norman Von Brocklin’s punts took the Eagles to the Championship. But Danny White became the lost shot-caller to punt.

On the show, Pat McAfee even explained why quarterbacks stopped punting. He asserted that stats and analytics prove that the QB position is the most crucial position in a game, and with a substantial increase in their salaries, teams felt it was no longer worth the risk.

Nowadays, the teams are putting more and more focus on punting and are bringing in soccer players. Australian punters like Mitch Wishnowsky, Michael Dickson, and Lou Hedley dominate the scene, with their spiral kicks, drop punts, etc, making it harder for opposing teams. Seven times in the past 10 seasons, Australians have dominated the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate punter, winning seven times in the last decade.