By: Justin Walker | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – On Friday, West Virginia University announced the 2025 inductees into its sports Hall of Fame. Among the group were two Mountaineer football legends, Pat McAfee and Bill Stewart.
Pat McAfee
McAfee, known by many across the world for The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, is one of the greatest kickers in WVU history and Big East Conference history.
Per WVU Sports:
The native of Plum, Pennsylvania, handled the team’s punting, kickoff, extra point and field goal duties. During his career, McAfee was named a CBSSports.com First Team All-American, Walter Camp Football Foundation Second Team All-American, Associated Press Third Team All-American, Ray Guy Award finalist, Lou Groza Award semifinalist and played in the Under Armour Senior Bowl.
McAfee was a four-time bowl winner: 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Car Care. He set the WVU career records for most games played (51), scoring (384), kick scoring (384) and extra points made (210), was third in punting average (43.7) and field goals made (58) and eighth in number of punts (126). He held the Big East records for most extra points made, was second on the all-time scoring list, second in punting average and third in field goals made. At the conclusion of his career, he was tied for 22nd in overall scoring and 16th among kickers in NCAA history.
McAfee was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He made two Pro Bowl appearances, was an All-Pro in 2014 and played in Super Bowl XLIV in his rookie year during an eight-year NFL career.
McAfee retired from football in 2017. He has hosted The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, is an analyst on College GameDay and is a color commentator and occasional wrestler for the WWE.
McAfee and his wife, Samantha, have one child, Mackenzie, and live in Indianapolis.
Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart, known by many as Coach Stew, was Head Coach of the WVU football program from 2008-2010. He had a winning percentage of .700 during those three seasons. West Virginia finished the 2008 & 2009 seasons ranked in the top 25, and were ranked for much of the 2010 season.
Stewart was hired as the head coach for WVU after leading them to one of the most notable wins in program history. As the Interim Head Coach in January 2008, the Mountaineers defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 48-28 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Stewart was given the reigns to the program after that victory. His “Leave No Doubt” speech to the team prior to that game is arguably the most well known speech in program history. It is still used in hype videos today.
Prior to being the head coach at West Virginia, Stewart was an Assistant under Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez for eight years. He also held assistant coach and/or coordinator roles at Marshall (1980), William & Mary (1981-83), Navy (1984), North Carolina (1985-87), Arizona State (1988-89) and Air Force (1990-93).
In 1994, Stewart became head football coach at VMI for three seasons. Prior to returning to be an assistant under Nehlen in Morgantown, the Grafton, West Virginia native also spent time coaching in the CFL.
Stewart passed away on May 21, 2012. He left behind his wife, Karen, and son, Blaine, a former WVU assistant coach and now assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Other inductees into the 2025 class of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame are: Chelsea Carrier-Eades (track & field), Bill Kirelawich (football assistant coach), Darrell Whitmore (football, baseball), and Petra Zublasing (rifle).
WVU Sports was used as a source for this article.
Photo Credit: WVU Today
