Erin Andrews on death threats, ESPN and DWTS

By Adam Silverstein
April 12, 2010

In a feature on Sports Illustrated Monday, Jimmy Traina spoke with ESPN sideline reporter and former Florida Gators dazzler Erin Andrews about her time on Dancing with the Stars, recent death threats she has received and a variety of other issues. Portions of his interview pertaining specifically to her personal issues and sports career can be found below, but you can read the entire thing on SI.com.

SI.com: How are you doing in light of the recent death threats against you?
Andrews: The past week was a really hard week. I’m not going to lie and say that it didn’t bring everything back that I had to deal with last summer. Granted, this was to a different level, but it brought back a lot of different emotions that I was trying to get past. But it just puts me back in the spotlight and makes me an example of how stalking is for real and it needs to be taken seriously, and I think it forces me even more to say to myself, “OK, how am I going to use this platform, how can I show women they have to be smart about their safety and protection?” But it’s been a difficult week.

SI.com: Your contract with ESPN is up soon. What’s the latest with that?
Andrews: My agent is handling all that. We’re in talks, trying to figure some stuff out. I miss sports a lot right now. I feel like I don’t know what’s going on and it kills me. And [ESPN colleagues] Chris Fowler, Craig James and Jesse Palmer are going to be in the audience this Monday, and I’m so excited to see them and get some sports in my life.

SI.com: So there are no plans to do something other than ESPN?
Andrews: Oh, God, no. I’m not even thinking about that right now. Before I know it, it’s going to be time for college football. There is, in the back of my mind, something I’d like to do with female safety and crimes against women, so maybe that’s something I can do in addition to ESPN. But you know me, I’m obsessed with sports. I miss it a lot right now. I feel like I was cheated out of March Madness because I didn’t get to see any of it. I was walking up and down the press line last Monday asking, “Does anyone have a Duke score?” Nobody knew what I was talking about. This is such a different world for me.

SI.com: How has being in sports affected you on DWTS?
Andrews: There’s a lot from sports that’s has rubbed off on me. I really wanted Maks as a partner because he reminded me of Urban Meyer and Nick Saban — your no-nonsense kind of coach. I wanted someone who wasn’t going take any of my bull. I hurt my back this week. It really, really hurt, but I wasn’t going to tell the doctors about it because I love athletes who tough it out. So, I didn’t want to go to the doctor, but Maks called production and said, “I need to get her a doctor because I need her back to be OK.” And I was like, “No, no, just tell me I’m good to go.” And I still think of this as a game. I always ask, “When are we getting to the stadium?” And people here are like, “Do you mean the studio?”

One Comment

  1. Mr2Bits says:

    Sucks about the death threats. Funny the Thursday night crew is going to cheer her on. Wonder if her and Palmer “hang out” after the games? Might be a romance in the making

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