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(UWIRE) MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- When Pat McAfee stepped inside the Caperton Indoor Facility on March 13, he decided it was time he hung up his soccer cleats.
On that day, the West Virginia University football team held its NFL Pro Day for all the seniors looking to take the next step.
McAfee, who only finished his junior season as WVU's starting kicker/punter, saw all of the scouts in the facility and knew he had a decision to make.
"I went up to the Pro Day up here, and I saw a lot of money out there with the pro scouts that were watching, and I decided that this year was not the year for me to get hurt," McAfee said after practice on Wednesday. "I think soccer would be a good way for me to get hurt, so I laid off, decided to retire and hang 'em up."
After seeing that scene, he then talked with his father and decided that it was better, not only financially but for his future, to focus on football.
"I don't know too many kickers that kick in the NFL and play in the MLS -- actually I don't think there are any, so it really wasn't a smart decision," McAfee said.
It still was hard for the Plum, Pa., native to make the decision, as he played soccer primarily in high school and didn't even go to practices on his high school's football team.
"I think it would be good to get back in shape because I don't really run that much in football season, so soccer season would've been good to get some running in," he said. "Other than that, it would've been all personal, just being back and active, and that would've made me happy, but it wouldn't have hurt or helped kicking."
In the end, he felt that it just wasn't the right time in his life to try to play two sports at one time, and WVU head men's soccer coach Marlon LeBlanc was very understanding of that decision.
"If this was two years ago, like my sophomore year, I would've played, but now isn't the right time for me to get hurt," McAfee said.
With soccer out of the way this spring, McAfee has focused on getting better from his 41.1-yard punting average and 11-for-15 field goal effort during the 2007 season.
"I think if you don't expect to get better, you should be done competing in anything," he said. "Once you reach your peak, I think it's time to retire, and I'm nowhere near my peak, so I have a lot of room to improve.
"I'm getting better each game and I think that's a good thing."
