Ex-Colts punter McAfee effusive in praise of Broncos STC McMahon

Former Indianapolis Colts punter and current Barstool Sports correspondent Pat McAfee describes newest Denver Broncos special teams coordinator Tom McMahon as many things.

Tiny. Magical. Outdoorsy. Smart. Relatable. Incredible. So on and so forth.

But one thing’s for certain: McAfee holds his former coach in very high regard.

Joining “Schlereth and Evans” on Wednesday, a day after breaking the news via Twitter about the Broncos newest hire, McAfee was effusive in his praise for McMahon, who coach him to two Pro Bowl seasons with the Colts.

Congrats to the @Broncos on signing Tom McMahon as their new Special Teams coordinator.. Guy is an absolutely incredible coach. Genuinely loved going to practice w/ him holding the whistle. Made me fall in love w/ the process again. Denver will love him.

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 9, 2018

McAfee said watching McMahon work was a “thing of beauty” and when the longtime special teams coach got to Indianapolis he was “mindblown” about what he added to his and kicker Adam Vinatieri’s career.

“I’m very thankful for what Tom McMahon did to my career, and I think Denver will absolutely love him,” McAfee said, joking that the coach seems like he never sleeps.

McAfee championed McMahon’s “relatability” in terms of dealing with players, especially in heading a unit which draws its players from both sides of the ball.

“He has the ability to reach everybody in the room,” McAfee said. “A special teams coordinator is the only guy who has to teach the entire team. It’s not just offense. It’s not just defense. It’s everybody.”

McMahon also holds what McAfee called “electric” practices, “high-energy” players enjoy special teams and feel like they’re making a difference in games.

“There’s not a lot of people want to play special teams. Whenever you get drafted to the NFL, your dream is to start on offense or defense,” McAfee said. “Now, you’ve got these guys who were superstars in college, superstars in high school, everybody has loved everything they’ve done, now they make it to the NFL and they’re being asked to play on fourth downs.

“You’ve got to make sure that those guys feel as if they’re making a big-time impact on the game. And I think that’s what Tom McMahon brings home.”

But perhaps more importantly, McAfee said he believes McMahon can turn around a Broncos special teams unit that ranked among the league’s bottom teams in field goal percentage (75 percent, 26th), net punting average (40.8, 27th), and punts inside the 20-yard line (24, 25th) in 2017.

“I honestly believe that you guys will see a full 180 in the Denver Broncos special teams,” McAfee said. “And I think it’s something that the Denver Broncos fanbase will fall in love with because it’s a high football IQ fanbase.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.