When production began on “The Mosquito Bowl,” director Peter Berg got a call from someone he’d never spoken to before.
It was Pat McAfee.
The former NFL punter and sports media star had learned the “Friday Night Lights” director was making a movie based on the book “The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II,” which tells the story of former college football stars who joined the U.S. military during World War II and played a makeshift football game before the deadly Battle of Okinawa.
McAfee told Berg he had read the book and had a friend who was a drill instructor in the Marine
Corps. He wanted to be part of the movie.
"Are you serious?" Berg recalled.
McAfee was serious. He told Berg he planned to go to Parris Island, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina where the soldiers depicted in the film report for training. McAfee spent five days on base with recruits and even hosted “The Pat McAfee Show” from Parris Island on Veterans Day 2025.
And he did it all before securing a role in the film.
“He said, ‘That's how serious I am,’ Berg recalled to USA TODAY Sports. “I said, ‘I feel it.’”
That set the stage for McAfee to make his film debut as an unnamed drill instructor tasked with preparing college football stars Tony Butkovich (played by Ray Nicholson), Dave Schreiner (Tom Francis), Bob Baumann (Bill Skarsgård) and John McLaughry (Nicholas Galitzine) for deployment.
The film debuts in theaters Friday, Oct. 30 and begins streaming on Netflix on Nov. 25.
Whether you have a good opinion of McAfee or not, he plays his part exceptionally well, drilling into each character the fun and games are over and combat demands intensity and fight.
It was a surreal experience for Nicholson, who is a fan of McAfee. There’s even a moment in the movie when McAfee’s character lays into Butkovich, and Nicholson smiles simply because he couldn’t help himself.
“As a fan, it was cool to have him out there,” Nicholson said. “He was great to hang out with. He's a great chat, and has so much energy and really this creative spirit, and it was really cool to work with him.”
What really stuck out to Francis was that McAfee brought his friend from the Marine Corps to the set to help give the film authenticity. Berg added McAfee spent three weeks on set while filming in Australia, one of several current and former players who joined the cast, including San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
“It was just an incredible opportunity to kind of get into that space,” Francis said. “They were both so generous with their time, with the conversations that they would have… He came and he just went ‘I want to be of service to this movie. How can I help?’ It was a really inspiring time to be around a pair of them for me personally.”
McAfee is known for his humor and antics, and that personality came through behind the scenes. The cast even tried learning how to kick from him, with mostly unsuccessful results. But the serious, profound side McAfee displays in the movie is something audiences might not expect from him.
Berg credits McAfee’s commitment to the role, which plays a vital part in the film as the characters’ transition from All-Americans to soldiers showcases the reality of war.
“He happened to be perfect for the role of a drill instructor,” Berg said. “Really just behaved like an actor, was very respectful. Learned a lot from these guys, and just had his eyes and ears wide open and wanted to be of service to the film.
“I could not be more proud of Pat for the work he put in and for how serious he took it. He's a good man.”
Watch 'The Mosquito Bowl' trailer
How to watch 'The Mosquito Bowl'
The film will premiere in select theaters on Oct. 30, 2026 and be available to stream on Netflix starting Nov. 25, 2026.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pat McAfee wanted a role in ‘The Mosquito Bowl.’ What he did next stunned director
