You probably recognize Kaylee Hartung for her incredible on-field coverage of the NFL Super Bowl LX and throughout the entire NFL season on NBC and NFL on Prime. It was truly an honor to interview Kaylee for the Alan Alford Sports Talk Show!!!
We just celebrated International Women's Day, and Kaylee would be an amazing candidate! Her passion and empathy truly shine throughout her interviews!
Please enjoy this wonderful interview!
Thank you, Kaylee Hartung for answering my questions for the Alan Alford Sports Talk Show!
Thank you, NFL for the wonderful Blessing of covering Super Bowl LX.
On behalf of the Alan Alford Sports Talk Show, I tremendously appreciate you all!
This is Alex Naylor for Sports Talk Show.
So talk about the fact that you're going to be calling this a big game.
Do you put more pressure on yourself or do you just try to take it as another game?
I am trying as hard as I can to treat it like just another game.
Just like you hear the coaches say, just like you hear the players say.
You've got to trust the process.
I'm very proud of the way that I prepare for every regular season game
that I get to be a part of on Thursday Night Football and the playoffs at NBC.
So there is certainly a process to trust and believe in and stick to.
But the unique opportunity in covering the Super Bowl
is that Melissa Stark and I are splitting the sidelines.
She is focused on the Patriots. I am focused on the Seahawks.
Now, of course, we both have to give each other's teams our time and respect and attention as well.
But it is a slightly different opportunity in the way that I think about my preparation
to dig a little bit deeper.
Because at the end of the day, we are here to cover a game
which is the biggest moment in these athletes' and coaches' lives.
And whoever has that moment, whoever I am speaking to,
especially post-game as they are hoisting the trophy,
the most important thing for me to do is honor that for them
and do justice to their story and their journey.
So better know that whole roster, inside and out.
When you are on TV, it seems like you have genuine empathy for the players.
Where does that come from?
I think my mission in covering sports is to tell the stories of these athletes
and to help the viewers at home hear more about these men
that they are watching run around a football field
and know why they should be here.
Because of the dedication and the sacrifice of these men to be excellent at what they do.
So for me, it is all about honoring those journeys.
Whether it is the best day of their life or the worst day of their life.
And there is nothing like covering live sports.
There is really nothing else like it.
Those moments of joy and victory are priceless.
And we will have that on Sunday.
So for me, it is always about remembering these guys can seem larger than life
and they are adored as heroes.
They are regular folks just like you and me.
And I always try to treat them as such and connect with them on that level.
It is you and me talking.
It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.
And that is also how I think I calm my nerves in the process as well.
When was the first breakthrough you had in this business that said,
I am going to get it. I got it.
Oh, goodness.
The very first college football.
I am just using one of my old bosses for me as standard.
I have worked everywhere.
That is one of the best things about the Super Bowl.
Running into all the people through my own journey in the process.
But the very first college football game I ever worked at Sidelines for
was a TCU-Wyoming game in the fall of 2010.
And in a way, I don't even remember being nervous because I was just so excited.
I didn't know enough to be nervous.
But there was a story unfolding about how Wyoming's quarterback was hurt.
And I found out, ironically enough, from TCU's head coach's wife
that Wyoming's quarterback didn't travel.
And nobody knew that.
And so I got to break the news in my opening report
that Wyoming's quarterback didn't travel.
And there was A, a feeling for me of being on the field
and feeling the energy around me in the stadium.
And B, a feeling of accomplishment of knowing that I had original recording,
that I could contribute to the broadcast in a meaningful way.
And I was hooked.
I don't know if I had the confidence in that moment that I'd work in the Super Bowl.
I could say for sure I did not imagine this moment happening.
But that was certainly an important moment in the scheme of my career
to think, this is for me.
I feel at home here. I feel comfortable here.
I'm challenged by this in exciting ways.
And I feel really lucky and blessed to be in this position.
So let's keep it going.
And here we are.
Congratulations. Thank you so much.
