Laura Rutledge, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) alumna, was the featured guest on an episode of The Ringer podcast hosted by Bryan Curtis. “ESPN’s Laura Rutledge on College Football, Covering Recruiting, and ‘NFL Live’” was posted on July 28.

Rutledge, host of ESPN’s weekday news and information show NFL Live and SEC Network’s SEC Nation, discusses how sideline reporting influenced her sports career, what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated space, and her role as host of “NFL Live.”

During the podcast, she speaks fondly of her time at UFCJC including working at WRUF-AM doing two-minute sports updates, hosting the “Cheap Seats” and the guidance she received from WRUF/WUFT Sports Director Steve Russell.

She said that joining WRUF was an accident. Her friend told her that a job was open at the college radio station.

“I thought, cool, I’m going to do NPR radio, this is going to be awesome. I’m going to be doing news stories and storytelling which I had grown up listening to. But there was only one job opening and it was in sports,” said Rutledge. “I went there and met Steve Russell, who to this day he has been invaluable to me and my career.”

Posted: July 28, 2022
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Laura Rutledge, Steve Russell