Behind the Mic: Peter Drury Joins NBC Sports as Lead Premier League Play-by-Play Commentator; NFL Network Adds Jamie Erdahl as New Host of Good Morning Football

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, Peter Drury joins NBC Sports as lead Premier League play-by-play commentator, NFL Network adds Jamie Erdahl as new host of Good Morning Football, and more.

Peter Drury Joins NBC Sports as Lead Premier League Play-by-Play Commentator

Peter Drury, a popular and critically acclaimed Premier League match caller since its inception (1992), has joined NBC Sports as its lead Premier League play-by-play commentator, it was announced today.

For the past 18 years, Drury has handled play-by-play for the Premier League’s world feed, with many of the matches he has called appearing on the platforms of NBCUniversal.

A two-time winner (2021 and 2019) of the Football Supporters’ Association Commentator of the Year and the recipient of the Sports’ Journalists’ Association Commentator of the Year honor in 2020, Drury previously called Premier League matches and other properties for ITV (1998-2012) and handled Premier League and additional sports as a commentator and presenter for BBC Radio (1990-98). He has also called Champions League, Europa League., FA Cup, Serie A and Bundesliga soccer competition for Amazon Prime Video, BT Sport and CBS Sports.

This fall, Drury will call World Cup matches for the seventh consecutive cycle, handling the world feed for Host Broadcast Services.

NFL Network Adds Jamie Erdahl as New Host of Good Morning Football

CBS Sports’ and former NFL ON CBS sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl has been named a new host of NFL Network’s Emmy Award-winning show Good Morning Football. She will make her debut on the show Monday, July 25, joining Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt, and Will Selva.

Erdahl joins NFL Network from CBS Sports, where she joined in 2014 and will continue to work for select assignments. During her eight years with CBS, Erdahl served as a sideline reporter for the NFL on CBS, and most recently was the lead SEC on CBS reporter. While at CBS Sports, Erdahl also served as a sideline reporter for the network’s coverage of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship and regular season college basketball games, as well as an analyst for select women’s college basketball games on CBS Sports Network. Additionally, Erdahl hosted the network’s studio coverage of the NFL and college basketball, and was a major part of the CBS Sports HQ launch in 2018 appearing as an anchor for the 24/7 sports news outlet.

Prior to joining CBS Sports in 2014, Erdahl worked at NESN as a host and reporter. Erdahl played basketball and softball at St. Olaf College prior to transferring to American University, where she received her degree in communications.

CBS Sports Elevates Jenny Dell and Sherree Burruss to Lead College Football Reporters

CBS Sports has named Jenny Dell lead college football reporter, teaming her with Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson to call the CBS Television Network’s top game each week, including the SEC on CBS game of the week, beginning with the 2022 season.

Additionally, Sherree Burruss has been elevated to lead college football reporter for CBS Sports Network. Burruss will work throughout the season with Rich Waltz and Aaron Taylor.

In addition to their college football reporting duties, both Dell and Burruss will continue in their anchor roles on CBS Sports HQ, the 24/7 streaming sports news service. In her new position, Burruss will also work select SEC ON CBS games throughout the year.

Dell, who joined CBS Sports in 2014, most recently served as lead college football reporter for CBS Sports Network, a position she held since 2015. In addition to her role at CBS Sports HQ, she has also worked games as a sideline reporter for select SEC ON CBS and NFL ON CBS games. Prior to joining CBS Sports, Dell was as a reporter for New England Sports Network’s coverage of the Boston Red Sox, delivering in-game reports, as well as news, updates, and interviews for NESN’s pre- and post-game coverage. She also worked as a reporter for NESN Sports Today and served as NESN’s lead reporter for the Red Sox’s World Series championship season in 2013. Dell began her career as a production assistant at ESPN and later joined ESPN.com as an on-air reporter, covering Super Bowl XLIV and XLV, and appearing regularly on NFL Countdown Daily.

Burruss currently serves as a host and reporter for CBS Sports, contributing to the network’s college football, NFL and college basketball coverage, as well as anchoring CBS Sports HQ. Burruss also contributes to CBS Sports’ coverage of marquee events, including Super Bowl LV and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Prior to joining CBS Sports in 2020, Burruss was the lead anchor and reporter for NBC 4 Washington (WRC) and served as the sideline reporter for Washington Commanders preseason games. She started her career in Columbia, Missouri covering news and sports as a reporter and anchor. She also worked for WGCL, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, covering professional sports and the University of Georgia as a sports anchor and reporter.

ESPN’s Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, Dan Orlovsky, and Laura Rutledge Team Up to Call Multiple NFL Games This Season

ESPN’s Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky (analysts), along with Laura Rutledge (reporter), will broadcast multiple NFL games during the 2022 NFL season as ESPN’s NFL portfolio grows to 21 regular season matchups, the most in the network’s history. The enhanced slate includes three occurrences where ESPN will produce multiple games in the same week, including the debut of multiple Monday Night Football games on the same night (Week 2) and the first ESPN+ exclusive contest (Week 8). ESPN’s regular season will conclude, once again, with an NFL on ESPN: Doubleheader Saturday (Week 18).

In advance of the season, ESPN has re-signed Levy, Riddick and Orlovsky, with each of them, along with Rutledge, playing an integral part in ESPN’s NFL coverage and beyond. For the 2022 NFL season, as part of those multiple games in the same week/day, the new grouping will call the following games:

• Week 2: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills (Monday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
  • First Monday Night Football ‘Two Games, One Night’ Showcase, as Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles will also play the same night (8:30 p.m. on ABC)
• Week 8: Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, Oct. 30, at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN+) from Wembley Stadium in London
  • First exclusive NFL game on ESPN+
• Week 18: One of the NFL on ESPN: Saturday Doubleheader games (January 7 on ABC and ESPN)
  • Starts at 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The group will also call both of ESPN’s preseason games: Chicago at Seattle (Aug. 18, 8 p.m.) and Atlanta at New York Jets (Aug. 22, 8 p.m.), with each matchup televised on ESPN.

Levy and Riddick called Monday Night Football during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, with now-San Francisco 49ers quarterback coach Brian Griese. Orlovsky, who has been an NFL studio analyst and college football game analyst with ESPN since 2018, will be making his NFL game debut this season. A veteran of many high profile college football games, Rutledge worked her first NFL game in 2018 and has been a sideline reporter in select NFL games in subsequent seasons.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will make their ESPN NFL premiere, along with Lisa Salters, in Week 1 when the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson travel to Seattle (Sept. 12, 8 p.m.).

Levy will also call NFL games on ESPN Radio this season on a regular basis and Riddick will call Thursday night college football on ESPN this season. During the week, Riddick will remain ESPN’s NFL front office studio analyst, appearing regularly on multiple shows. He also remains on the NFL Draft on ESPN as an analyst. Orlovsky will continue to call college football games on Saturdays for ESPN and ABC. The former NFL quarterback remains on NFL Live, as the full cast returns, and will continue to appear on additional studio programming.