If you’re a football girlie, you probably have a parasocial relationship with Erin Andrews. For over a decade now, she’s been there to guide us through, well, the epic highs and lows of football (apologies for the Riverdale reference). All season, she’s busy chatting with our fave NFL players, analyzing team strategies, and giving insight into behind-the-scenes elements. And I fear she’s still one of the only female sideline reporters we get to hear from while watching the game. SMH.
Now, if I was being an icon in front of America all day for work, I’d realistically spend every second of my free time watching shows and TikToks. But Erin, of course, has like 15 other really cool jobs and projects on the side. She has her own female fan apparel brand, WEAR By Erin Andrews, her entertaining and informative podcast, Calm Down, and her new public health campaign, Get Body Checked Against Cancer, to name a few. Oh, to be a multi-hyphenate badass.
I had the pleasure of chatting with the NFL queen and we covered everything from her cancer screening campaign, to Travis Kelce returning next season, to women’s representation in sports. Plus, I had to know how often men still try to mansplain sports to her.
Betches: You’re doing incredible work with the Get Body Checked Against Cancer Campaign. I was wondering if you could share a bit about how this campaign came to be and how surviving cancer has impacted the way you live your life?
Erin: In 2016, I went to go do a routine exam with my gynecologist, just going to get my annual. It’s something we got to do. It’s not the funnest, but hey, let’s go. I went and then I got the news that I had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Not great news to get, but because we caught it early, it was very treatable, which was a win for me. And that’s all we’re trying to do with this campaign, Get Body Checked Against Cancer.
You need to go to the doctor! Listen, people are scared. I just went to the dermatologist this past week to go get a body scan. Almost canceled because I didn’t want to deal with it. I don’t want bad news. And that’s what people deal with. But you do need to get in because if you have something, you want to be able to treat it so it doesn’t turn into anything worse.
We’re doing a whole limited edition of T-shirts under my WEAR By Erin Andrews brand that says screen on it to remind people to go get screened. Go get your body checked against cancer. And it’s a partnership with the NHL, so you can find those at nhlshop.com, at the NHL store in New York City. Some of the proceeds will go to the B+ Foundation for Cancer Research, which is pretty cool.
Betches: Yeah, that’s amazing. And speaking of your clothing brand, WEAR By EA, you recently worked with Rebecca Minkoff on the Super Bowl Moto jacket, which was so cool. Any more dream collabs for the brand?
Erin: Yeah. We have a couple of dream collabs that are kind of in conversation right now that I would be so excited if they come to fruition. I’m going to manifest that they will. There are a couple other females that I’d really, really love to collab with.
Betches: Awesome. We’ll look out for that. Would you ever follow in Rebecca’s footsteps and appear on Real Housewives or another reality show?
Erin: Nothing against what Rebecca Minkoff did on the show. I haven’t even caught up on that season yet. I’m in Salt Lake world right now. No. My husband would absolutely not allow it. He doesn’t even really like me talking about him on the podcast. So no, I’m good. Yeah. My son Mac’s fee would be very high, so I don’t know if they could afford that.
Betches: Probably not. So, the Super Bowl was pretty crazy. I was wondering what your reaction was when Travis Kelce announced that he will be coming back next season?
Erin: Oh, I’m so happy. I don’t want him going anywhere unless he is going to come to Fox and work with us. It’s more fun. I hate when guys have to retire and I get why they do. They want to pursue other things or they’re just done. I didn’t want Tom Brady to retire and he works with me now. So no, he’s one of the best guys to cover in our sport. I actually didn’t want anyone to lose. I wanted both of them to win because I like all the players so much. So you just don’t really like your friends feeling that way and maybe going out that way. I was very excited about the news he was coming back.
Betches: Did any Eagles players surprise you?
Erin: Gosh, I have to be honest… None of them surprised me. I had covered them all season and got really, really close to their team. They were so stacked from their offense to their defense. And it was all clicking on Super Bowl Sunday. They were all over Patrick Mahomes and it was a sight.
There’s a lot of great guys on that team, a lot of guys I loved getting to know. Saquon was such an exciting story. He is such a great guy to talk to and how adorable is his family on that field and that offensive line. And I’m glad people got to see them on Jimmy Kimmel and how cool they are and fun they are. They’re some of my favorite guys to talk to, so it was really exciting for them.
Betches: There’s obviously been amazing growth in women’s representation in sports over the past few years. How does it feel to be able to witness that in real time?
Erin: It feels cool. It really does. And it’s only just the beginning, right? This thing’s going to get bigger and better. And it’s really fun to be on the sidelines and you look over and you see female coaches, female athletic trainers, female doctors, female executives in the front office. It’s a great time and I love it. And that’s why it’s so important to me to do such a good job on the field, to represent not only those women, but the young girls that are watching and want to maybe follow you and follow your footsteps and so forth. So yeah, it is a really exciting time for women in sports.
Betches: Yeah, for sure. I know Kylie Kelce isn’t a fan of the term WAG. What are your thoughts about that word?
Erin: I mean, I am married to a professional athlete, a retired professional athlete. Kylie Kelce is just the best. So anything she’s selling, I’m buying. So I love her. She’s so authentic. She’s funny as anything. So I get it. Yeah, I get it. I don’t know. I never really called myself a WAG. I don’t know. Yeah, I agree with her.
Betches: Do men still try to mansplain sports to you ever?
Erin: None of the guys that I’m friends with and none of the men that I work with, because they are the best and they know the amount of work and preparation. There’ll be the random guy at the bar.
And listen, there’s things I learn from Tom Brady all the time. I don’t know what it’s like to be the GOAT. I don’t know what it’s like to win seven Super Bowls. I don’t know what it’s like to make an adjustment at the half. And that’s one cool thing about my job is I get to learn from so many different guys about all this stuff.
But yeah, there’ll be the random guy at a bar that will either see you watching a game. Or I am with my laptop all the time trying to study and get ready for the season and they’ll make a comment. And maybe they’re a little over served and they’re feeling good about themselves. I think the thing I need to worry about and really concentrate on is not biting back right away. Like oh really? Yeah. Really? Oh, okay. Like Erin, relax. So no. Yeah, there’ll be a guy every now and then, but it is what it is.
Betches: If you could have dinner with any sports legend, dead or alive, who would it be?
Erin: Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Those are my guys. Can we go on Michael’s yacht? That’d be incredible.
Betches: There are no rules. Why not?
Erin: Oh, I love it.
