The Weekend That Reminded Me Why We Root
Not just for teams or scores — but for people chasing their craft with everything they’ve got.
Right now–if you had to answer the question–who are you truly rooting for?
Go ahead, close your eyes. Picture that person.
For me, this weekend the answer came easy.
Every weekend, calling games, it’s pretty simple: you root for the players on the field. You root for the coaching staff. You root for a great game–one that ends on the final play, at the final whistle, in epic fashion.
As a broadcaster, you’re also rooting for your entire crew. The production team that shows up long before we do, setting up the TV trucks, the cameras, the cables—and then stays long after, breaking it all down and loading it back up for the next week. There’s an entire ecosystem of energy that makes college football weekends come alive and each week the work ethic of our production crew inspires me in a huge way.
After 18 years of broadcasting, I’ve been lucky to stand alongside so many amazing people who make up the fabric of this game. But this weekend was a first: the first time I got to stand next to Rhett Lewis.
I’ve known of Rhett for a while. He’s one of the most respected names in sports media and I’ve been watching him for a while. He’s been on air for about two decades covering the NFL, is deeply admired by coaches, players, executives, and anyone who’s shared a studio or tv booth with him. And when you get to know him off-camera, you see even more: loving husband, dedicated father of two (soon to be three), and one of the most humble, hardworking, and talented people in our industry. Add in a former walk-on wide receiver who earned a scholarship and it’s game over.
This weekend marked our first time paired in the booth–Rhett on play-by-play, me in my usual seat as analyst. Midweek, I watched him prep for our game while balancing his NFL duties. Rhett hosts Thursday night coverage around the Amazon Prime NFL game on NFL Network and post show races to catch a red-eye, lands on no sleep, squeezes in a workout, races to meetings and never once complains. Just pure professionalism.
He he even joins me every few weeks on our limited series within Y-Option titled THE PROCESS.
Rhett can do it all: sideline reporter, analyst, studio host, and now, play-by-play voice. Watching him in real time on Saturday on The Lake at Northwestern calling out plays, identifying players, nailing the big moments with a smile just brought me genuine joy. Because when you see someone pour themselves into their craft, all you want is for them to enjoy the moment while meeting the moment. Ironically, just like the players and coaches we celebrate every weekend.
This past Saturday, I got to watch someone step into a new role, thrive, and remind us all what being an elite teammate looks like. The form of Rhett’s job changed, but the essence of who he is—his humility, his preparation, his grace—never did. If anything, it became even clearer.
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