Erin Andrews spoke candidly on Monday about her feelings ahead of Week 1 of the NFL season.
As she reflected on her time in Cleveland, where she worked with Kevin Burkhart and newcomer Tom Brady on the Fox team covering Sunday's Browns-Cowboys season opener, the 46-year-old beloved sideline reporter spoke with her friend and fellow sportscaster Charissa Thompson. On the “Calm Down” podcast She spoke about what she'd been working on behind the scenes and how she felt like she wasn't quite “in her element.”
“It's week one and I've had a lot going on, talking to my dad, talking to you, you getting me up off the floor, and I've had a lot going on. For some reason, I just didn't feel like Stella was on knack for it. I've been really struggling with confidence on the show, to be honest with you,” Andrews told Thompson, 42.
The WEAR by Erin Andrews designer later said she “couldn't sleep for two days leading up to the episode,” explaining that it wasn't because of the show, but because of a family situation.
“There are a lot of problems with the baby. [son Mack, whom she shares with husband Jarret Stoll]In our house, the air conditioning broke the night before the game and our bed got dirty. [It’s] “It was 80 degrees in the house and we had a baby and a dog, so it was really hard,” she said.
Quoting lyrics from the Taylor Swift song “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” Andrews said she'd had conversations with her father about battling other serious cases and not being afraid of the spotlight.
“But once I started walking around in my pre-game warm-up, it was like, I'm home, I'm home,” she said.
Andrews, who has been with Fox Sports since 2012, detailed a small mishap that occurred during rehearsals as the team prepares for Brady's long-awaited broadcast debut.
“I was doing a quick rehearsal with Tom because I'd never done anything like this before where they were giving me instructions and the audience doesn't understand and they're on a stick mic and I have to switch to a headset and I have to get up and move and all of that stuff is so hard and I totally messed up,” she said. “…And look Tom Brady, you're not the only one who struggles sometimes, it wasn't that he was struggling, I was just trying to make him feel better.”
Brady, who joined Fox in May 2022 on a massive 10-year, $375 million contract, also brings a unique perspective to the team.
“I've known him for a long time and I get to hang out with him a lot off the field, which is fun, but what I always like most about hanging out with him is his stories and what he tells us, his insight, his behind the scenes look and his opinions on things,” Andrews said.
“… But when he analyzed the game in our meeting, he said that the first week of the season is when there are a lot of unknowns, a lot of uncertainty, and that’s when the players feel the most anxiety. You don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know how it’s going to go, you hope it will work out, but you don’t know how it’s all going to turn out.”
On Sunday morning, the Cowboys, fresh off signing veteran quarterback Dak Prescott to a historic $240 million contract, defeated the Browns, 33-17.
Andrews and company head to Arlington next week for the Cowboys' home opener against the Saints, who beat the hapless Panthers 47-10 in their season opener.
