ESPN
Jordan Rodgers is having an eventful week.
Just one day after he was named the Season 12 winner of “The Bachelorette,” it was announced that the ABC reality star is staying in the Disney family and joining ESPN.
The former Vanderbilt quarterback (pictured above right with Dari Nowkhah) will provide college football commentary as a studio analyst for the SEC Network, which is devoted to coverage of the Southeastern Conference.
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Along with being the younger brother of Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, the 27-year-old played at Vanderbilt from 2010-2012 and was the first quarterback in team history to make back-to-back postseason bowl appearances.
“I’ve devoted my life to football,” Rodgers said. “I was never the most talented player on the field. I had to work hard for it and sharing those experiences and that knowledge is my new focus.”
“We began planning for the upcoming college football season in February and Jordan was one of our first calls,” ESPN Senior Vice President Stephanie Druley said in a statement Tuesday. “He had a unique perspective as a quarterback at Vanderbilt University and we were immediately impressed with his intelligence and passion for
Druley went on to explain that they began considering Rodgers for the job long before he became the prime focus of JoJo Fletcher’s affection on the hit dating show.
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“We first interviewed Jordan in March and he auditioned in May, before ‘The Bachelorette’ had begun airing,” she said. “We were struck by the clarity of his thought and strong, thoughtful opinion on the many layers of college football.”
Rodgers beat out romantic rival Robby Hayes to earn Fletcher’s final rose on Monday’s finale, and then dropped down on one knee to propose.
Along with now wedding planning with his new fiancee, his first day on the job will be Aug. 23 on SEC Network’s sports news and information show “SEC Now.”
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“I’ve spent the summer studying in preparation for the football season,” Rodgers said about preparing for his new gig. “Part of the job is based on personal experience, but knowing the rosters, stats and dynamics of 14 teams and their opponents every week is the work aspect.”
He follows the path forged by ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer, who played quarterback for the University of Florida and the NFL’s New York Giants before starring on Season 5 of “The Bachelor” and eventually joining ESPN in 2007.
Rodgers joins a studio talent lineup that includes Heisman winner Tim Tebow, two-time Super Bowl champion Booger McFarland, national championship-winning quarterback Greg McElroy, national championship-winning lineman at LSU and Dallas Cowboy Marcus Spears, as well as hosts Dari Nowkhah, Peter Burns, Laura Rutledge and Paul Finebaum.
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