Pat McAfee delivers patriotic message in aftermath of Charlie Kirk assassination

Former NFL kicker Pat McAfee delivered a robust message on Saturday morning following the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier within the week.

McAfee, 38, who was carrying a patriotic-themed jacket, delivered the message on the campus of Tennessee forward of its massive sport towards No. 6 Georgia.

“Getting an opportunity to be round this stunning city for the final 24 hours has made me understand that it’s nice to be a Tennessee Volunteer,” McAfee mentioned to open ESPN’s “College GameDay.”

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Pat McAfee helps to kick off the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival Fan Fest with a dwell broadcast outdoors the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on July 31, 2025. (IMAGN)

“It’s not only a nice day to be a Tennessee Volunteer, it’s additionally an excellent day to dwell within the best nation on earth, the United States of America,” McAfee mentioned, which sparked “U-S-A” chants from a raucous crowd. 

“And all week we’ve seen and heard possibly much more than we ever ought to about what separates us, what makes us completely different and our differing opinions. But on this stunning campus on this superb Saturday you’ll see 102,000-plus within the eighth-largest stadium on the planet from completely different financial backgrounds, political backgrounds, spiritual backgrounds, you identify all of it, coming collectively for one factor: and that’s to kick Georgia’s a–.”

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College GameDay sportscaster Pat McAfee on the set of College GameDay earlier than the sport between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 30, 2025. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

McAfee mentioned that Saturday is about celebrating what makes this nation nice. 

“A soccer locker room is the best place on earth, its stadium is as nicely. Today we have a good time what makes this nation nice, as we speak we have a good time the best sport on earth: soccer,” McAfee mentioned. 

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Pat McAfee takes the stage at ESPN College GameDay forward of the University of Oklahoma–Michigan faculty soccer sport in Norman, Oklahoma, on Sept. 6, 2025. (IMAGN)

Rece Davis, one of many hosts of “College GameDay,” mentioned that soccer “pulls everybody collectively,” which prompted McAfee to say it tries to. 

“It tries to at the least and I feel that’s what we have to keep in mind, particularly on weeks like this. It’s nice to be alive, it’s nice to be a soccer fan, and Saturday all the time delivers in faculty soccer season,” McAfee mentioned. 

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