MORGANTOWN - Jarrett Brown is still a two-sport athlete. Pat McAfee is not.

His budding college soccer career?

"I'm retired,'' the West Virginia kicker said Monday.

And with good reason.

"I went to the pro day here,'' McAfee said of last Thursday's workout in front of NFL scouts and coaches for WVU's draft-eligible players. "And I saw a lot of money.''

Indeed, if McAfee is going to make any of that big money in athletics, chances are football, and not soccer, is his ticket. And given that he has just one season left to build his NFL resume, McAfee figured it probably wasn't the smartest decision to divide his time.

So after five weeks of practicing with West Virginia's soccer team, that came to an abrupt halt the day after pro day.

That, coincidentally, was the first day of West Virginia's spring football practice.

"It was [a decision he made] with my brain more so than my heart,'' McAfee said. "I practiced for five weeks, lost a good eight or nine pounds. I've still got it. But there's just too much at stake.''

So while Brown, West Virginia's talented backup quarterback, continues to dabble in basketball as a reserve for the NCAA tournament-bound Mountaineer basketball team, McAfee is back to being a one-sport specialist.

Well, as much as a guy who is both the team's kicker and punter can be called a specialist. And actually McAfee has taken up a third role. He's also trying his hand as a holder.

No, not for himself. But near the beginning of Monday's third practice of the spring, there was McAfee on one knee, holding for backup kicker David Brewer.

Or at least trying. In his one and only appearance the center snap sailed through his hands and was covered by Brewer for a 15-yard loss.

"I held in those camps I used to work in Florida all the time. I'm actually a pretty good holder,'' McAfee insisted. "Not quite the debut I wanted, but I'll keep doing it. Nobody else can hold for a left-footed kicker. But that was embarrassing.''

If that was embarrassing, think how he would have felt had he continued to play soccer and been injured, something that could have wrecked a promising pro career for a guy who could be extremely valuable on a limited NFL roster as a kicker-punter.

"Pro day was a real slap in the face,'' McAfee said. "If I get hurt right now, if a kid takes a whack at me in a game, my senior year of football is not the year to be missing because some idiot who plays for a soccer team wants to take me out.

"I love soccer. But now's not the time.''

To contact staff writer Dave Hickman use e-mail or call 348-1734.