ESPN’s Laura Rutledge recently opened up about the first deal she signed with the broadcaster at the start of her sports journalism career. Although the opportunity looked glamorous from the outside, the reality behind the paycheck told an entirely different story. And it was confirmed by how her husband, Josh Rutledge, reacted after seeing her contract.

“I mean, my first contract with ESPN was a 12-event deal,” Laura revealed during an interview on The Pivot podcast. “When I first showed Josh that contract from ESPN, he was like, “Are they even paying you? Are we paying to work?” Like legitimately, he’s like, “It may cost us more money.” “And it’s because of him that I could even build what’s been built, you know.”

Laura married former MLB player Josh Rutledge in December 2013 after dating for two years. After the wedding, she initially planned to embrace life as a “baseball wife” and even left her job at Fox Sports San Diego. But with Josh constantly supporting and encouraging her, Laura found her way back into sports media. While he held down the fort, she landed her first deal with ESPN in 2014, the opportunity that ultimately launched her rise into one of the network’s brightest stars.

“I did it for probably, I don’t know, let’s call it eight months or so, maybe less, and he was like, ‘You need to go back to work.’ Because I was driving him crazy, and I was driving myself crazy because I realized I’m not like; I just have to do more. I have to, and I love this too much. And it was interesting because as much as I loved him and I wanted to be there for him, he realized, like, she needs to do what she loves too. And maybe it is possible to do both,” Laura said.

The mother of two started as a reporter on the SEC Network and ESPN. She also anchored SportsCenter and hosted red-carpet coverage at The Home Depot College Football Awards, the ESPYs, and the NFL Draft in her early years.

Additionally, Rutledge has contributed to ESPN and the SEC Network’s live-event programming for college football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and softball. She was a mainstay in ESPN’s extensive championship coverage surrounding the College Football Playoff, the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, and both the Women’s College World Series and the College World Series.

Laura signed an extension with ESPN

Starting from a 12-event deal, ESPN re-signed Laura on a multi-year contract extension in February, making her an inspiration to all. The 37-year-old will continue hosting the Emmy-nominated NFL Live year-round and will remain on the broadcast team for marquee NFL and college football games, as well as signature events such as the NFL Draft, the Masters, and SEC Kickoff.

“ESPN has provided me the support and freedom to build my dream career since I arrived eager to learn and grow. I appreciate its continued faith in me and hope they recognize the gratitude and pride I have working for the company. On a personal level, so many colleagues have become mentors and dear friends during my 10 years, and I have relationships with them that will always be special, including my NFL Live team, who I consider family,” said Laura.

For the longest time, Laura believed that motherhood would disrupt the career she had built for so many years. In 2019, she became pregnant with her first child and feared that motherhood might derail her career. But the ESPN star proved that determination can make anything possible, balancing motherhood and her rising career at the highest level. She juggles her professional and personal life with ease, with her supportive husband by her side.