Erin Andrews talks Gator football, Taylor Swift, and friendship with Aaron Rodgers at YMCA Inspiration Breakfast

BOCA RATON — Women's History Month and International Women's Day brought Emmy-winning sports broadcaster Erin Andrews to her home state and the University of Florida alumna gave her thoughts on the state of Gator football Wednesday at the YMCA of South Palm Beach County Inspiration Breakfast.

In high school, Andrews had "no plan B" besides a future on the sideline that would hold moments like handing the mic over in 2014 for Richard Sherman's post-NFC Championship rant about Michael Crabtree. From childhood, she always wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father, Steve, known for his time as an investigative journalist at WFLA in Tampa.

"I knew I wanted to start covering sports, but I cringe now," Andrews said.

"I told my dad I want to go to football games — but now I say to my dad, 'Well, Florida was, was good when I went there.'"

Still, she knew it was the right place to be.

The ESPNs and CBSs of the world came along with then-coach Steve Spurrier, who'd just earned the Gators' first-ever national championship before the now-45-year-old — or in her words "175-year-old" — arrived at The Swamp as a freshman in 1997.

Times have changed in Gainesville.

"Gators need to get it together," Andrews said. The audience erupted in laughter, comforted by their fellow disgruntled Gator fan's comic relief.

"I am so sick of it. I am just so frustrated. It's like, come on, enough is enough," Andrews said.

Florida's 5-7 run last fall ended with a five-game losing streak. The Gators were denied a bowl game appearance for the first time since 2014. The year marked the Gators' third straight losing season, their second under 2021 hire Billy Napier.

Interviewer and South Florida media personality Paige Kornblue tried to offer some comfort.

"Our teams go through waves," she said.

"This is a drought," Andrews chirped back, cackles in the background unrelenting.

"It's crazy. Onward and upward."

Andrews talks Taylor Swift, working with Tom Brady, and friendship with Aaron Rodgers

Before her Q&A session with Kornblue and guests began, Andrews had a 20-minute news conference with reporters.

She discussed her love of sports and competition, and what it's been like to go from covering the Gators as a student journalist to sidelining for the MLB and the NFL, now exploring other ventures like her Fanatics clothing line, Wear by Erin Andrews, and hosting the "Calm Down" podcast with Charissa Thompson.

Andrews knows her drive is what's gotten her to the place in her life where Taylor Swift is wearing her brand at Kansas City Chiefs games and having "pretty amazing friends that are big-time NFL players." And contrary to what outsiders looking into a male-dominated industry may think, Andrews finds that being a woman has given her a leg up over the years.

Andrews remembered the advice of her own greatest female mentor and "massive trailblazer" Lesley Visser:

"Being a female will get your foot in the door, but how hard you work will keep you there."

"I feel like I'm at this point where I've really proved how much I put into this — so there's always going to be people who are like, 'Oh, she's in it to be in front of the camera,' but if you don't have it figured out by now how much I love this and how much respect I have for the guys in this league, then sorry," Andrews said.

Encouraging young girls to prove themselves in spite of the naysayers, she reminded how competitive the sports industry is and how limited the number of jobs that are available, even for men.

"Show them why you stand out, and then worry about the clothing brands and the speaking engagements and the celebrity golf tournaments," Andrews said.

"I get to work with Tom Brady this year. Aaron Rodgers is a really close friend of mine. Dak Prescott, I was texting him the other night. I'm grateful. I love the fact that I can call these guys if I need them or help them out if they need me, but I've also worked my ass off for it.

"Tom Brady, Greg Olsen, Mark Schlereth, they're told things that players don't feel comfortable telling me. It's just different, like that's their brotherhood, but also I do think there's an advantage to being a female sitting down with a Dak Prescott," Andrews said.

"I get an Aaron Rodgers candid interview every single year because he trusts me. He knows I'll put his message out there, put him in the best light — but again, that's all from working really, really hard, and knowing my coworkers respect me."

Florida native teases potential 'morning show'

"I've missed a lot in life. I got married late in life, had my baby late in life, but it's worth it. This is what I love doing, but you have to love doing it," Andrews said, looking forward to the coming months as her brand expands on and off the field.

Andrews, who welcomed a son via surrogate in June 2023, has plans to travel to New York in the next few weeks to do more work on her growing apparel line.

"Obviously, Taylor Swift helps a lot with that," she said.

"We're trying to figure out how we capitalize and make this something women have to have in their closets to support their teams, and I'm looking forward to the season because I'm getting a teammate like Tom Brady," Andrews said.

Fox Sports re-signed Andrews, who is estimated to have a salary of $2 million a year, to a three-year deal in 2022

"I don't know. In the back of my head, I'm kind of hoping for a role on some sort of morning show at some point, so kind of working that behind the scenes," she said. "I think that would be fun to do."

"I don't think a 3 a.m. wake-up call would be fun."

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fox broadcaster Erin Andrews talks Gator football NFL pals