Laura Rutledge Discusses Internal Struggles

Laura Rutledge, a host for ESPN, ABC, and the SEC Network, has revealed she has consistently battled anxiety throughout her career. Despite her professional accomplishments, Rutledge admits she rarely feels confident in her role.

Facing Doubts at ESPN

“I think there’s probably some people out there in the world that go to their TV job and feel great about it everyday, that has never happened to me,” Rutledge shared. She described a pattern of self-doubt, stating, “I can know inside of me I’m capable of doing these things and yet be my own worst enemy the whole time. Beating myself down or telling myself I can’t do it or I’m gonna fail.”

Anxiety Surrounding 'Monday Night Football' Role

First Full-Time Season

Rutledge specifically discussed the anxiety she experienced during her first full-time season on “Monday Night Football” in 2023, after previously having “spot starts.” Her gameday schedule included appearances on both “SportsCenter” and “Monday Night Countdown.”

Pre-Game Struggles

“I had a lot of trouble with that this past season,” she admitted. “Before the day would start, psyching myself out and being like ‘You’re not gonna be able to do this, you’re gonna have a big mess up today,’ beating myself down so bad.”

Finding Calm During Broadcasts

Surprisingly, Rutledge found her anxiety lessened once the game began. “By the time I would get to the game, I’d be like ‘Oh, I’m fine,’” she explained. “I had to prove to myself every single one of those Mondays that I could actually do it again, which is wild because I couldn’t convince myself that I had done it last week.”

Career Background

Rutledge began her broadcasting career with Fox Sports as a sideline reporter before joining ESPN in 2014. She became the host of ESPN’s “NFL Live” in 2020 and was subsequently promoted to a full-time sideline reporter in 2023, working alongside Lisa Salters.