Suzy Kolber Suzanne Lisa " Suzy " Kolber ( ; born May 14 , 1964 ) is a football sideline reporter , co - producer , and sportscaster for ESPN . She was one of the original anchors of ESPN2 when it launched in 1993 . Three years later , she left ESPN2 to join Fox Sports , and rejoined ESPN in late 1999 . Biography . Early life . Kolber was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . She is a 1982 graduate of Pennsylvania ' s Upper Dublin High School . She graduated from the University of Miami in 1986 . Career before ESPN . Kolber came to ESPN from WPEC - TV in West Palm Beach , Florida , where she was a weekend sports anchor and weekday feature reporter since December 1991 . In 1991 , Kolber ' s freelance assignments included work as a reporter / producer for Breeders ' Cup Newsfeed in Greenwich , Connecticut ; a field producer for " Inside Edition " in New York ; a sports specials producer for WCIX - TV in Miami , and a producer / director for NFL Films . From 1989 - 90 , she freelanced as a specials producer for WPLG - TV in Miami . In addition , she produced two magazine shows , " Cowboys Special Edition " in Irving , Texas ( 1990 – 91 ) and " Greyhound Racing America " in Miami , Florida ( 1988 – 90 ) . From 1985 to 1989 , she produced the 5 : 30 p . m . ET sportscast at WTVJ - TV in Miami , winning a local Sports Emmy in 1988 . Kolber graduated from the University of Miami in 1986 with a bachelor of arts degree in telecommunications . While an undergraduate , she worked at Dynamic Cable in Coral Gables , Florida as a sports director ( 1984 – 86 ) . After graduation , she worked at CBS Sports in New York as a videotape coordinator ( 1986 ) . ESPN . Suzy Kolber has covered a variety of assignments for ESPN from the National Football League to X Games and Grand Slam tennis events . She is most recognized as a sideline reporter on ESPN ’ s " Monday Night Football " with Michele Tafoya . In 2007 , she was also a host for ESPN ’ s pre - race NASCAR Countdown program . Kolber joined ESPN ’ s MNF team during its inaugural year in 2006 after five previous seasons on " ESPN ' s Sunday Night Football " ( 2001 - 05 ) . As a member of the " MNF " team , Kolber helped the longtime franchise became the most - watched program in cable television history . Kolber worked the ABC Sports broadcast of Super Bowl XL in Detroit in 2006 with Michele Tafoya and contributed to the network ’ s pre - game show . She also became the first female recipient of the Maxwell Club Sports Broadcaster of the Year Award in 2006 and was named to Sports Business Daily ’ s 2004 list of the 10 favorite sports TV personalities of the past 10 years . Kolber regularly hosts ESPN ’ s year - round " NFL Live " news and information show , and she has played a major role in ESPN ’ s comprehensive coverage of the annual NFL Draft , hosting the Day 2 telecast ( 2004 – 2006 ) and leading analysis segments on Day 1 . For the 1999 through 2003 NFL season s , Kolber was the host of " NFL Match - Up " . She also previously contributed “ Backstage ” segments to " Monday Night Countdown " . During the NFL off - season , Kolber serves as an anchor on " SportsCenter " and as an on - site and studio host for ESPN ’ s tennis coverage at the French Open ( since 2004 - 2006 ) and Wimbledon ( since 2003 - 2006 / 2009 ) . In 2000 and ’ 01 she hosted the X Games and Winter X Games , and she co - hosted the event again in Aspen in 2006 . She also hosted horse racing events including all three legs of the Triple Crown for ESPN / ESPN2 studio programs . Kolber returned to ESPN in August 1999 after originally joining the network in 1993 as co - host for ESPN2 ’ s " SportsNight " , when the network debuted October 1 of that year . She later served as an anchor on SportsCenter , a reporter on " College GameDay " and co - host of the X Games in 1995 and ’ 96 . Kolber also hosted ESPN2 ' s " SportsFigures " , which uses sports celebrities and analogies to teach math and physics . While covering the 2011 NFL Draft , Kolber came under fire for her interview with Mark Ingram , Jr . , who started to sob when Kolber read an e - mail from Ingram ' s imprisoned father . The interview was perceived by some as being manipulative . On Tuesday September 13 , 2011 , the ESPN2 debut of the show " NFL32 " with Suzy Kolber and Chris Mortensen hit the air . With a backdrop similar to a sports bar ( complete with wainscoting , sports memorabilia , and dark woodwork ) , the show focuses on " dissect the biggest topics of the day from all 32 NFL teams " and attributes much of its design to that of the Dan Patrick Show , a well listened to and watched national radio and television show on Direct TV ' s Audience network . Fox Sports . She left ESPN for Fox Sports in November 1996 , where she anchored a nightly sports news program and reported from NFL games , among other duties . She served as the lead reporter for network ' s coverage of the " NFL on Fox " teaming up with the network ' s No . 1 announce team of Pat Summerall and John Madden for one game in 1998 . She also covered horse racing . She served as studio host for the network ' s coverage of the " NHL on Fox " including both the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals and the Playoffs . She would eventually return to ESPN in August 1999 . " Monday Night Football " . Kolber joined ESPN ' s " Monday Night Football " crew as a sideline reporter along with Michele Tafoya when the network took over the longtime football series from ABC Sports in 2006 . After Tafoya left ESPN for NBC Sports at the end of the 2010 – 2011 NFL Season , ESPN used a rotating solo sideline reporter for the 2011 – 2012 NFL Season , with reporters such as Wendi Nix , Ed Werder and Rachel Nichols stepping into the role each week , with Kolber as a fill - in . Kolber requested to do more in - studio work so she didn ' t have to be away from her child . The show NFL32 was created as a result of this request . Lisa Salters was named the new full - time solo sideline reporter for " Monday Night Football " starting with the 2012 – 2013 NFL Season , effectively ending Kolber ' s tenure as sideline reporter for the show . The Namath incident . On December 20 , 2003 , Kolber received national attention when , covering a New York Jets game , former Jets quarterback Joe Namath twice stated , in a nationally televised sideline interview with Kolber , that he wanted to kiss her , and " couldn ' t care less about the team strugg - a - ling . " Kolber responded with , " Thanks , Joe . I ' ll take that as a huge compliment . " Namath later apologized and blamed the incident on his obvious intoxication . Soon after , Namath entered an outpatient alcoholism treatment program . Namath chronicled the episode , including his battle with alcoholism in his book , " Namath " . " NASCAR Countdown " . In the two weeks prior to Kolber ' s arrival , Brent Musburger was mysteriously absent from his position as lead host of " NASCAR Countdown " on the ABC / ESPN network . On the week of the race on May 19 , ESPN gave no reason for his absence but announced Kolber as the new host of Nextel Cup and Busch Series studio programming . She has since been replaced by Allen Bestwick as host of " NASCAR Countdown " . Endorsements . Kolber ' s football broadcast narrative is featured on Sega ' s video game , " ESPN NFL Football " for Microsoft ' s Xbox and Sony ' s PlayStation 2 . Kolber also is a national television spokesperson for Chevrolet and Pepsi - Cola commercials . In 1995 ' s " ESPN Extreme Games " for PlayStation , she has multiple video sequences hyping up the player , introducing levels , and hinting at secret areas . The re - release of the game , " 1eXtreme " removed all of her videos , and any reference to ESPN . Personal life . Kolber gave birth to a baby girl , Kellyn , in 2008 . Kolber has won three Crown Awards in voting at the celebrity hair website Super - Hair . Net , including the Best Short Hair awards for 2003 and 2007 .