Southern-fried Q&A: Laura Rutledge has blanket coverage on the sideline

ESPN made news recently by pink-slipping several hundred employees in an attempt to tighten up its balance sheet, but Laura Rutledge isn’t going anywhere.

A rising star for the sports media behemoth, Rutledge — formerly McKeeman, as she married Boston Red Sox infielder Josh Rutledge in 2013 — can be seen covering college basketball, baseball and softball for the Worldwide Leader. But her most high-profile job is during football season on SEC Network as the sideline reporter alongside play-by-play man Tom Hart and analyst Andre Ware.

While Hart is a veteran broadcaster with a miles-long résumé and Ware is a former Heisman Trophy winner that cashed his share of NFL paychecks, Rutledge’s credentials are perhaps even more impressive. She has a degree in broadcast journalism from Florida and spun her education into a career that produced on-camera gigs covering the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres and San Diego Chargers. CNN, Headline News and various arms of FOX Sports can also be spotted on her CV, much to the surprise of that Neanderthal sports fan grunting into his red Solo cup about her being just another blonde with a microphone.

Blessed with girl-next-door looks and a smile that can be spotted from the International Space Station, Rutledge won the title of Miss Florida in 2012 — representing Pinellas County, as she’s from St. Petersburg — and made it to the round of 16 in the Miss America pageant a year later. During the talent portion of the competition, she set herself apart from mediocre vocalists and ordinary pianists by performing ballet en pointe from “La Esmeralda.”

Rutledge was kind enough to answer the call for our first installment of the Southern-Fried Q&A.

SDS: You’re only on camera for a minute or two at a time during a broadcast, so tell me what game day is like when you’re not live on the air.

LR: During a broadcast, I am constantly running from sideline to sideline gathering information and updates on everything that’s going on down there. What people don’t realize a lot of times is even when I’m not actually doing a report on air, I’m still giving information to the producer and the play-by-play or analyst up in the booth. I am moving constantly to make sure I’m not missing things that are happening on both sidelines, so it’s always hectic but so much fun.

SDS: How much of the information you report from the sideline is handed to you by trainers and assistants, and how much of it do you have to gather on your own using whatever investigative techniques are at your disposal?

LR: Most of the time I am gathering information on my own, but I will consult with athletic trainers on injuries because we always want to make sure we have the most up to date accurate information on player health. I am always reminding myself that I need to be the eyes and ears on the sidelines to give fans the stories and information they can’t see or hear watching the game. I take that responsibility very seriously and always want to do everything I can to further the stories ongoing in the game and around each program we cover.

SDS: The easiest SEC coach to get a good sound bite from during a halftime interview is…

LR: Easiest coach to get a good sound bite from is Bret Bielema.

SDS: The hardest SEC coach to get a good sound bite from during a halftime interview is…

LR: Hardest coach? This really depends on the day and context of the game. I can’t single anyone out because it varies so much. It’s important to remember we are getting these coaches right after they’ve just been in the heat of the moment coaching games. So they are often fired up, and sometimes that comes through in their answers.

With drills going on, @CoachDanMullen takes a second to chat with @LauraMRutledge and @SECNetwork. #HailState pic.twitter.com/vrN9xybqvh

— MSU Football (@HailStateFB) March 4, 2015

SDS: You’ve worn a lot of different hats in football from a reporter’s point of view — high school, college and the NFL all over the country. What is it about the SEC that makes it such a powerful entity from your unique perspective?

LR: I am so thankful for my experience in other sports and conferences before coming to the SEC because I think it gives me a broader perspective about how the SEC fits into the national landscape of college football. There is truly nothing like the SEC. The excitement around each and every game on any given weekend is second to none. I have to work really hard to do my job, but I never feel like it’s actually work because of the incredible experiences that accompany covering this conference.

SDS: Aside from the periodic booze-induced vulgar comments and the occasional Hail Mary marriage proposal, in general, how are you treated by SEC fans from stadium to stadium?

LR: SEC fans are the best ever. I will always feel that way. They are well informed and can be harsh critics, but they will also open their arms and welcome you into their amazing tailgate. It’s a wonderful mix of passion and pride.

SDS: The best tailgating experience in the SEC would have to be…

LR: Best tailgating experience is The Grove in Oxford.

SDS: The most underrated tailgating experience in the SEC would have to be…

LR: Most underrated tailgating experience is Missouri. I know, I know. But before you knock it, try it.

SDS: If you had the weekend off and could attend any game in the SEC as just another fan in the stands, what matchup are you paying to see? No Gators games, of course, as we all know you’re a card-carrying Florida alumna.

LR: I would love to see Alabama vs. LSU. This game is always good and often has national-championship implications, and this year is no different.

SDS: For the SEC fan that’s lucky enough to have you swing by his tailgate party, what dish can he expect you to whip up for everyone?

LR: I’m not the best chef, unfortunately. But I do like to make guacamole, so I would probably offer that up at a tailgate — if I hadn’t eaten all of it myself already.

Look for Laura Rutledge (@LauraMRutledge) working the sideline Saturday during the South Carolina-Texas A&M game in College Station on SEC Network.

John Crist

John Crist is an award-winning contributor to Saturday Down South.