Pat McAfee and Mark Messier took quite the trip down memory lane during Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Messier, who is an NHL analyst for ESPN, appeared on McAfee’s show Tuesday to talk about the Stanley Cup Playoffs. During his appearance, Messier and McAfee talked about their experiences with using magic mushrooms.
“I have a story where in my life I took shrooms in college, and it changed my perspective on how I was gonna focus on football that night,” McAfee recalled. “It did flip a switch for me, and I stuck with it. … Without it, I don’t think I have the mindset to go on to be who I am.”
McAfee was a punter in college at West Virginia and later became an All-Pro punter with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring after the 2016 season.
That led McAfee to ask Messier for his story about using the psychedelic drug. Messier explained that his experimentation with shrooms came from a desire to be superior mentally.
“As an athlete, we probably spend 95 percent or 99 percent on our bodies, and back then, not a lot on our minds. It gave me the ability to look at a bigger picture — a vastness that is out there,” Messier said.
“It gave me a better perspective, it gave me a humility. … It worked for me, and it’s something that I don’t regret. And, wow, what an experience.”
"As an athlete we spend so much time on our bodies and back then not a lot on our minds..
Mushrooms gave me a better perspective and it made me focus more..
This was back on a trip to Barbados in the early 80s" ~ Mark Messier #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ActuuGoQio
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 28, 2024
Messier made his NHL debut as a 19-year-old in 1979-1980 with the Edmonton Oilers. His experience with shrooms would have come early in his career based on the timeline he shared.
The Hockey Hall of Fame member went on to play 25 seasons in the NHL and win six Stanley Cups. Whatever he did definitely worked.
