The ESPN NFL halftime commentators have grow to be a staple of Monday Evening Soccer. Let’s take a quick dive into every of this 12 months’s members of the MNF on-air crew.
Suzy Kolber presently hosts the ESPN halftime present. She is joined by Steve Younger, Booger McFarland, and 2022 addition Robert Griffin III, who will exchange Randy Moss on this system. Moss stays at ESPN however is focusing extra on his Sunday NFL Countdown duties.
Suzy Kolber
Kolber graduated from the College of Miami earlier than working for CBS in 1986. She received an area Sports activities Emmy for producing the 5:30 p.m. ET sports activities broadcast of WTVJ-TV in Miami. Kolber then joined WPEC-TV in West Palm Seashore, Florida as a weekend sports activities anchor and weekday function reporter within the early Nineties earlier than touchdown with ESPN in 1993.
Kolber has coated an enormous array of sporting occasions for ESPN, together with the X Video games, Grand Slam tennis occasions, NASCAR, NFL soccer, horse racing, and extra. Kolber joined the Monday Evening Soccer staff throughout its inaugural 12 months at ESPN in 2006 and served as a sideline reporter with Michele Tafoya earlier than taking over the function of host on the pre-game and halftime panel.
Steve Younger
Steve Younger is a former NFL QB who performed within the league for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He received three Tremendous Bowls throughout his taking part in profession, with two because the backup to then-starter Joe Montana and one because the beginning quarterback himself.
In PFN’s Greatest QBs of All-Time article, Younger was voted because the seventh-best QB within the historical past of the game. He fell proper behind Drew Brees and forward of Roger Staubach. He was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2005.
Younger started full-time with ESPN again in 2001. He served as an analyst on ABC’s Tremendous Bowl XXXIV (2000), XXXVII (2003), and XL (2006) pre-game exhibits, teaming with Chris Berman for the primary two Tremendous Bowls and with Berman and analysts Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson in 2006. He joined Monday Evening Countdown in 2006.
Booger McFarland
Booger McFarland was chosen within the first spherical of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and performed defensive sort out for eight seasons with the staff. He received Tremendous Bowl XXXVII with Tampa Bay in 2003. In the course of the 2006 season, McFarland was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, the place he received his second Tremendous Bowl that season. Previous to the 2007 marketing campaign, McFarland suffered a career-ending knee harm.
McFarland hosted a radio present in Tampa with WHFS till 2014. He then joined SEC Community as a soccer analyst whereas additionally serving as a visitor analyst on ESPN’s Mike and Mike present. He gained nationwide consideration for his sideline reporter function on Monday Evening Soccer, the place he introduced from a cell mini crane on the facet of the sphere nicknamed “The Booger Cellular.”
He earned this system’s shade analyst function in 2019 after Jason Witten departed to return to taking part in with the Dallas Cowboys. After one season within the function, McFarland was moved to a studio place. He now contributes to ESPN’s NFL protection in quite a lot of roles.
Robert Griffin III
The Washington Commanders chosen Robert Griffin III with the second general choose within the 2012 NFL Draft. After a prolific rookie season, Griffin battled accidents all through his taking part in profession. He retired from soccer after the 2020 season, although he has remained open to a return.
Griffin joined ESPN in 2021 and has been a staple of the community’s faculty soccer protection. He joins the Monday Evening Countdown staff as a alternative for NFL legend Randy Moss, who can nonetheless be discovered on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
Who else seems on the halftime present?
One other mainstay of ESPN’s halftime present is NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Schefter repeatedly seems through the break to supply information and rumors from across the league. Schefter formally joined ESPN as an analyst in 2009. Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith can also be expected to contribute to a number of Monday Evening Soccer broadcasts as an analyst all through the season.
This 12 months, ESPN’s various Monday Evening Soccer broadcast, the Manningcast, is about to return after a well-received inaugural season final 12 months. The Manningcast is broadcasted on ESPN2 and options Eli and Peyton Manning doing every part from shade commentary to evaluation all through the sport. The brothers additionally communicate to a number of friends throughout every contest.
The Manningcast will air on 10 predetermined weeks, together with a playoff matchup on Wild Card Weekend.
