Unjaded by fame and fortune, Erin Andrews shares the same youthful exuberance of the students that wait in line for her autograph.
Ever grateful for the opportunities she has been given, Andrews takes the time to speak with each and every fan that braved the hot afternoon sun to meet her last week when ESPN came to Gainesville for its TitleTown filming.
"They are always so nice," she said while waving to a group of students on University Avenue. "Everyone here is so supportive of everything that I do."
Andrews, who graduated from UF in 2000 with a degree in telecommunications, has quickly become one of the most recognizable faces in the sports media industry.
After beginning her career as a freelance reporter for FSN Florida, Andrews has talked her way to the top of the sports broadcasting mountain.
She signed on with cable sports giant ESPN in May 2004 to be a reporter for the network's National Hockey League coverage.
Since 2004, she has served as a sideline reporter for ESPN's college football, basketball and Major League Baseball telecasts.
"I'm from here. I should be used to this kind of heat," said Andrews while wiping the sweat from her blond hair. "I really need to suck it up."
Never bashful about her love for her alma mater, Andrews credits much of her success to the university where she says she spent the best four years of her life.
"This place means everything to me," she said. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for this school. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for the University of Florida."
Regularly a guest speaker at the College of Journalism and Communications, Andrews has taken the time to give back in any way that she can.
She said that the professional preparation she received while at the college has propelled her career faster than she ever could have imagined.
"I was out there at practice with Coach [Steve] Spurrier and Coach [Billy] Donovan, and ESPN and CBS and everyone else was right there with me," she said. "Being out there with the big boys every day really got me ready to go out and face the real world."
Despite her success, Andrews has received her fair share of criticism. In large part because of her looks, Andrews was voted "America's Sexiest Sportscaster" by Playboy Magazine in 2007, and she's had to work harder to be taken seriously in a profession dominated by men.
"I just want people to realize that there is more to me than being 5-10 and blonde," she said. "I actually do my own work, and I study a lot. People don't know how much hard work goes into this."
Undeterred, Andrews hopes that some day her name will be synonymous with the college football experience.
"When people think of college football, I want them to assume I'll be on the sideline," she said. "I want people to expect me to be there."
Humble and hopeful, Andrews looks to the future with optimism.
But she is also well aware of the ever-changing life she is faced with as a TV personality.
"I know that the window of people screaming my name isn't going to last forever," Andrews said. "I know that the next best young thing is going to come around sooner or later. I'm just trying to soak it all in while I can."
