ESPN VP raves about Jordan Rodgers’ SEC Network audition

When SEC Network announced it had hired Jordan Rodgers as an analyst, many thought it was an attempt by the network to capitalize on the former Vanderbilt quarterback’s newfound television fame. But that’s not exactly the case, according to one ESPN executive.

ESPN senior VP Stephanie Druley talked with SI’s Richard Deitsch about the decision to hire Rodgers, who recently was a contestant on “The Bachelorette” and was the winner of the reality TV show’s contest. Druley told Deitsch that ESPN had Rodgers on their radar for “some time.” The fact that he played quarterback at Vanderbilt was a big reason why, and they thought he had done well in some interviews.

Druley says Rodgers also nailed his audition.

“When he became available, he came to Charlotte. He walked into my office and the first thing I said to him [jokingly] was that his hair might be too high for our network. Despite that, it was clear he had a real passion and a deep knowledge of college football. The audition was really good—rare that someone walks in off the street and does an audition that we would be willing to air,” Druley told SI.

Though they liked his interview, SEC Network waited a few weeks into the Bachelorette before making an official offer to Rodgers, which he accepted.

Now Rodgers will have a new TV gig in addition to a new love in his life. Jordan’s ability to stir up controversy also probably isn’t a bad thing for the network, either.