Laura Rutledge is a name that sports fans should be familiar with. The former Miss Florida 2012 has burst onto the scene and excelled as a reporter and host for ESPN, SEC Network, and CNN International. Most recently, Rutledge has been on the scene at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas where she gave behind-the-scenes interviews with some of the top prospects in the 2018 draft class.
Rutledge, who attended the University of Florida, previously worked for FOX Sports where she covered games for the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Chargers. She was also a prominent face for on-field reporting during college sports broadcasts on FOX.
The 29-year-old St. Petersburg native who competed in the Miss America 2013 pageant is married to San Francisco Giants infielder Josh Rutledge. The couple got married in 2013.
She previously told TampaBay.com:
I entered my first pageant unintentionally, in 2010. I was 20, a junior in college, and some friends signed me up for the Miss University of Florida pageant. I didn’t want to do it. I had never really seen a beauty pageant, but I had all these stereotypes of what they were. But they told me about the community service, and about the scholarship money, so I thought okay. And I won first runnerup, $1,000.
Rutledge made her ESPN SportsCenter debut as an anchor when she filled in for Cari Champion in early February. She has continued to be a staple on the World Wide Leader in Sports since making her SportsCenter debut, so don’t expect to see her going anywhere anytime soon.
The 2018 NFL Draft continues on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
