West Virginia has open door policy in welcoming back former players
Neal Brown has an open-door policy when it comes to welcoming back former players.
That was on display during the Gold-Blue game when the program had a pair of former legendary players in quarterback Pat White and specialist Pat McAfee coach the two teams.
“We’ve got an open door for guys to come back, we’d love for them to come back,” Brown said.
Tight ends coach Blaine Stewart played a role in getting them back on campus but the main goal of bringing the pair to Morgantown was to get them around the team.
White had a prolific career in Morgantown where he passed for 6,049 yards and 56 touchdowns while rushing for 4,480 yards and 47 more scores. He quarterbacked the Mountaineers to four consecutive postseason wins including two BCS matchups in the Sugar and Orange Bowls.
In fact, Brown said that when another former quarterback Rasheed Marshall introduced him to the team it took around five minutes to cover his accolades.
“So to get him back there and reintroduce him to our players. Them watching him and understanding what a special talent he was,” Brown said.
McAfee was a standout punter and kicker at West Virginia that went on to a successful career with the Indianapolis Colts where he played for eight seasons. From there, he would go on to create The Pat McAfee Show and eventually signed a lucrative deal with ESPN.
“Pat McAfee is probably the most recognizable face that’s associated with West Virginia right now. To have him back here, and I thought it was important in a situation where he would be around our players and it wasn’t something we wanted to overly promote or anything just to get him back around the football program,” Brown said.
The sixth-year head coach understands that life can get in the way as players move on in their careers and even start other business ventures while there is also the family aspect to consider as well.
For example, White is involved in coaching and has children while McAfee has his fingers on several different media ventures from his own show to College GameDay to WWE and welcomed a child last May.
“So for them to take the time and invest back in here personally that meant a lot to everyone associated with our program,” Brown said.
It also shows the players that whatever their dreams are, whether on the football field or off, can happen at West Virginia.
“Those dreams can be realized right here in West Virginia, right here in Morgantown,” Brown said.
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