Erin Andrews on the big names in sports who stood by her
Amidst all the heartbreaking details that came to light in Erin Andrews' tearful testimony this week at her stalker lawsuit, there were a few unexpected positive notes -- particularly when Andrews was asked whether any prominent sports figures supported her after her stalker's violating peephole video was released on the Internet.
"It obviously means a lot to me to get respect and support from men and women and athletes in the community," Andrews told the court, smiling. "And when this first happened... I was acting a lot like a hermit, just hiding in my parents' house. And athletes and coaches I thought never really cared or even knew who I was were leaving messages and text messages."
Which athletes and coaches? Well, for starters, Louisiana State University head football coach Les Miles.
"Les Miles left me a voicemail and said, 'Please don't quit. Please come back. Please fight this. We can't lose you in our sport,' she said.
University of North Carolina head basketball coach Roy Williams quickly contacted Andrews with support as well.
"[He] called and just said, 'I need to know you're okay. I need to know you're alright. And what do you need?'" Andrews revealed during her testimony Tuesday.
Williams wasn't the only major NCAA basketball figure who stepped up to the plate.
"Just got a call from John Calipari," Andrews told the court, recalling a communication with the University of Kentucky's head basketball coach, the night before. "[He] said, 'Love you. Thinking about you. Proud of you, girl.' Things like that mean a lot."
Calipari led Kentucky to its eighth NCAA Championship in 2012. Williams led UNC to two NCAA Championships in 2005 and 2009. And Miles led LSU to its third college football National Championship in 2007.
Support from such major figures is a big deal in the male-dominated sports industry. And it is a much appreciated anecdote to the fears and anxieties Andrews said she now lives with, reporting on college and professional sports in the years since the Marriott video leaked.
"I told Urban Meyer, who was the coach of Florida at the time, that I just walked into the coaches offices to sit down and talk about offense and defense, and I felt like everyone was looking at me like they had seen the video," Andrews testified, revealing yet another positive relationship with a major football figure.
And it wasn't only prominent coaches that Andrews' testimony painted in a good light. She described Hall of Fame New York Giant Michael Strahan, who now works on TV in multiple capacities, as "a family member," "a big brother and a good friend."
"I look up to Michael Strahan a lot," Andrews said Tuesday, beaming. "He has done what he's done in the sports world and now he's doing what he's doing in the entertainment world, and he's flawless about it. And he doesn't have much sleep doing it. And I love talking to, as I call him, 'Stray.'"
In fact, beyond serving as a role model for Andrews' work ethic and sports-to-entertainment transition, she credited the former NFL defensive end with setting her up with her boyfriend of four years, Minnesota Wild hockey player Jarret Stoll.
"I was working the World Series, Tigers-Giants, and Stray said, 'I have a guy I'd like to take you out to dinner. Would you mind?'" Andrews recalled during her testimony Tuesday. "And I looked him up and I said, 'Eh I'm not interested. I don't really need that in my life right now.' And finally, [Strahan] talked me into it and I met him. And here we are."
Prior to dating Stoll, Andrews claims she struggled with a love life in the aftermath of having a naked video viewed by more than 17 million people online.
"I always wondered before I met my boyfriend," Andrews told the court in her second day of testimony, "Go on a first date... God, has he seen the video? Has his friend seen the video? You know, if he says, 'I'm taking Erin Andrews out on a date,' do they say, 'Oh yeah! Did you see what happened to her in the Marriott?'"
For a woman who so clearly feels she's behind in the count from the moment she steps up to the plate, it is comforting to hear that at least a few major players in the sports world have done their best to stack the count a bit more in favor.
