'I instantly started having tears come down my face'
One of the most prominent figures in sports media was almost scared off the job before her career even started.
Erin Andrews has become one of the most recognizable names and faces in sports, covering the NFL and Major League Baseball for a number of years.
But when she was just getting started, she lived out a nightmare.
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Fox Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews during a game between the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 4, 2022, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On her "Calm Down" podcast with Charissa Thompson, Andrews explained that a former member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made her cry because of how "nasty" he treated her.
"I was working freelance for an Orlando station, and they wanted sound from the Bucs' locker room. A particular player was so nasty to me," Andrews recalled. "He physically turned his back away from me in the middle of his scrum. He also told me to go back, rehearse my question and come back when I was ready. I was mortified.
Erin Andrews attends the 2022 Fox Upfront May 16, 2022, in New York City. (Jason Mendez/WireImage)
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"I was 19, 20 years old. I had practiced. I did slip up a little bit, I stumbled. He knew it. He knew I was young. I instantly started having tears come down my face."
But two other players on that team were there to comfort her.
"Two players in particular, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch, saw it, pulled me over, and said, ‘What do you need?’ … Royalty!"
Fox Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews during a Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New Orleans Saints game at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Andrews did not reveal the name of the player who upset her, and even Thompson was shocked.
"That’s incredible," Thompson said. "I never heard you tell that story. Wow."
Good thing Andrews wasn't scared off. She joined ESPN in 2004 before signing on with FOX Sports in 2012, where she has remained.
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