You would think that we would have to wait at least until the NFL Draft next month to talk about CBS’s Nate Burleson. However, there are no limitations or constraints on this news and sports personality.
Burleson is a television sensation. He is the media version of Sir Thomas More, and like the name of the play in which More was the lead character, Burleson truly is a ‘Man for All Seasons.’ The comparisons with this historic figure do not end there. More was a man of integrity, unwilling to compromise or fit into a societal mode.
Burleson has followed that same path.
In 2021, the former Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions wide receiver joined the CBS Mornings news program. There have been many regional and local sportscasters who have made the move to news, but let’s face it. Burleson was not only making the move from sports to news. He was also making the move from being an ex-player to sports to news.
Despite that leap, the chameleon that is Nate Burleson seamlessly transitioned into the role of journalist, filing reports on mental health as well as other hard news topics. The ability to get beyond the screen and truly speak to viewers goes a long way in television.
Nate Burleson has this ability, bringing integrity and heart to every story.
Former New York Giants standouts Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan made the move from player to sportscasting to news with quite different results. Barber’s run on NBC’s Today was relatively brief, while Strahan has become this generation’s Dick Clark, thriving in numerous roles across multiple networks.
The difference is that both Barber and Strahan were top-flight NFL players. Moreover, Strahan is a Hall of Famer who won a ring in Super Bowl XLII as the Giants downed the then-undefeated Patriots in that memorable game. In addition, both Barber and Strahan played in New York, the world’s media capital. They lived in the Big Apple limelight, making it easier to transition from sports to sportscasting to news to entertainment.
Burleson had none of these advantages. He played in smaller NFL media markets like Minneapolis, Seattle, and Detroit, and never won a Super Bowl in his 11-year career. Burleson had some nice moments as a receiver and returner, but you would not have put him at the top of your list as a player destined for TV stardom.
Still, on the air, he is confident, prepared, and always ready to offer unique insight into any discussion—a dude who is equal parts flash and facts.
Burleson is obviously serious about his work, but he does not take himself too seriously. This has been evident in many of his assignments, including serving as the host of Nickelodeon’s NFL Slime Time, a program directed at a younger audience with a fun, kid-friendly style.
In fact, most networks and shows are now trying to appeal to a younger audience. The men ages 25 to 54 target days are done. It’s more like diapers to diploma now. Burleson is tailor-made for this trend, and not just because of his impeccably tailored suits. He looks cool, acts cool, and communicates cool. He can take a punch as well as throw one and does not mind being the butt of a joke if it’s good for the show.
An Emmy Award-winning studio analyst for CBS’s The NFL Today pregame, halftime, and postgame shows, Burleson has added a chic yet edgy players’ mentality since joining CBS Sports in 2017. He is not your typical player-turned-broadcaster. Armed with a degree in communications from the University of Nevada, he has been training for this position for a long time, and it shows.
Despite his growing stardom, Burleson strikes me as a guy who does not forget from whence he came. He made his TV bones as part of a terrific cast on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football (GMFB). Although he left that show for a higher-profile and higher-paying gig, Burleson still makes periodic guest appearances on GMFB.
His love of NFL Network is apparent, as is his legacy. On NFL GameDay Highlights and NFL GameDay Final, host Chris Rose often uses Burleson’s signature line “toe drag swag” when a receiver makes a great sideline catch. Rose always credits and pays homage to Burleson as well.
It is always a treat to see Burleson back with his GMFB mates because, when he was there, the chemistry on that program was unmatched.
In addition to sports and news, Burleson has also ventured into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment field. He was a correspondent for Extra, interviewing the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Lady Gaga, among others.
Currently, he is the host of the latest incarnation of the classic game show Hollywood Squares, following in the footsteps of TV icons Peter Marshall, John Davidson, and Tom Bergeron. On the show, he smoothly banters with the Hollywood likes of Drew Barrymore, Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, and others.
According to his CBS bio, Burleson also creates art, poetry, and music, is in the restaurant business, and has his own clothing line. While Burleson was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he is the definitive American success story.
He grew up in Seattle and was drafted in the third round by the Vikings. He worked himself into a reliable possession receiver whose lightning-fast speed also made him a dangerous kick returner around whom special teams coaches had to game plan. Today, this versatility continues.
This past weekend, Burleson served as host of Road to the Final Four, CBS’s preeminent March Madness pregame show. There, he sat alongside veteran college basketball experts like Clark Kellogg, Bruce Pearl, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Charles Barkley.
Burleson did not just hold his own, he held court. He was an ideal host for this show—asking questions, moving topics along, coming in and out of video and breaks, and letting the quartet of basketball heavyweights do the heavy lifting.
In short, Burleson did what he has done at almost every turn in his broadcasting career: he flourished. There is no doubt that Burleson is on a very unique roll. Good for him, he has earned it.
As an NFL player, Burleson was unafraid to catch passes over the middle and return punts through a rash of rabid would-be tacklers. He still has that mindset, boldly breaking molds and smashing typecasts. There is no ceiling in sight for this guy. He is constantly creating his own launching pads and soaring into new stratospheres.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
