After being one of the regular co-hosts of Good Morning Football on NFL Network since the show began in August 2016, former wide receiver and current NFL Today studio analyst Nate Burleson was in the GMFB studio for the final time on Friday. He is now on his way to CBS This Morning.
There were several guests that sent messages to Burleson throughout the week including former teammates, NFL Today colleagues, and his own family. In addition to that, Kay Adams, Kyle Brandt, and Peter Schrager gave their own goodbyes. On Friday, the other three hosts wore shirts with Burleson’s face on them (Adams was not in studio) and the crew was wearing Burleson jerseys. It will be tough to not keep a dry eye when you watch:
Before Burleson’s last official show on GMFB, he was a guest on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina this week to talk about his new role. While some might believe it was an easy choice for Burleson to go to CBS This Morning, he told Traina that it was the exact opposite.
“I’m a loyal guy. If I’m locked in with one squad, I’m not looking to join another team,” said Burleson.
Burleson recognized that he has had other job offers in the past, and always said thanks, but no. The job at CBS This Morning was impossible to pass up.
“When this opportunity came, I just thought I don’t want to leave right now, I want to leave when everybody else leaves. I want to leave when it’s finally over when we have a season or series finale. But, I didn’t know when that was and I wasn’t going to walk away from CBS This Morning because it’s such a storied show with a rich history. There’s not too many opportunities like this in TV.”
So, what is the goal for Burleson now in the industry? He wants to leave an impact on people when he ultimately retires. He told Traina that he thinks the inconsistency of his playing days made it possible for him to thrive in his second act.
“Now, I’m thinking maybe my path in the NFL and never making it to a Super Bowl and not becoming a Hall-of-Famer and having injuries that kind of derailed consistency throughout my career, maybe that created this hunger inside of me as an adult. Where now I can go grab trophies that I didn’t think were offered to me.”
