Pat McAfee will not deny he made a bad decision on the night he went for a swim in an Indianapolis canal and then tried to bum a ride with a total stranger sometime after 5 a.m. Nor will he deny he should have gotten some heat, and some teasing, for one regrettable action.

He’s also not about to lose sight of the fact he was treated rather harshly in some circles as part of the formulaic response to an arrest that involves alcohol.

It’s the go-to move for the lazy — point, lecture, speak very loudly, act superior, repeat. The devil’s advocate says the former WVU kicker and punter messed up, but didn’t do anything that terrible. Certainly not something that would generate ridiculous, and probably predictable reactions, like calling him scum.

Therein rests the beauty of this chapter of McAfee’s life. The affable punter for the Indianapolis Colts, who never hid his dream to be in entertainment after football, ideally as a talk show host, has watched this develop in a most unexpected manner. In a truly unusual twist, McAfee’s mistake, and the way he managed the aftermath, has actually worked out very well for his present and his future.

“I messed up, but I’m not a bad person,” the 24-year-old McAfee said.

He was suspended for one game, which brought to life the idea his job isn’t guaranteed, but also sent him on his way to being a surprisingly popular player.

“That canal thing changed it for me,” he said. “Absolutely. I was on TMZ and it was one of those things where everyone made me look like the worst human on the planet.”

McAfee knows who said what about him and said he took offense to ESPN radio hosts calling him a scumbag.

“People were calling me the worst human being on the planet, but I think a lot of people in Indiana said, ‘Listen, he didn’t drive. He didn’t do anything to hurt anybody,'” said McAfee, who remains WVU’s leader in career points. “They kind of accepted me as one of their own and that’s where I think things took off.”