For college football reporters, a few minutes with a player can produce more than another assessment of the next opponent. A question about a childhood memory, a family influence, or an unexpected turn in a player’s journey can reveal the person behind the uniform. Those answers may not change a game plan, but they can change how fans understand the athlete they watch every Saturday.

That approach came under scrutiny after Notre Dame reporter Talia Baia was criticized online for asking questions some viewers considered out of place during football media availability. Her response offered a look at the assignment behind those questions and why she believes such stories deserve room alongside regular game-week coverage.

“Every week, I produce a player feature for our kickoff show, digging into who these guys are beyond football. I interview their parents, siblings, etc,” Baia wrote on X. “So yes, I’m the reporter asking a certain player about childhood stories during Tuesday media availability. I know. 🥲 We get limited time, and everyone wants football questions. But it’s my only chance to speak with a player all week for my one story. I get only 2 questions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sorry in advance YouTube people.”

Baia attached a screenshot of a comment that read, “Another stupid question by Talia smfh.”

The criticism questioned the relevance of her approach. She did not retreat from it. Instead, she explained that those two questions are often her only opportunity to gather material for a feature about a player’s life away from football.

That distinction matters. A game-day reporter may need to know why a coverage broke down or how an offense plans to attack a defense. A feature reporter is looking for something different: the people, decisions, and experiences that shaped a player long before he reached a major college program.

Baia covers Notre Dame for South Bend’s ABC57 News and contributes to its ABC57 Kickoff show. Her background includes reporting on Florida athletics for ESPN Gainesville and more than three years with WUFT News. Her recent Notre Dame features show what she is trying to capture.

In a profile of wide receiver Jordan Faison, Baia spoke with his father, Quincy, about the family’s early doubts that football would become his route to college athletics. Faison was small as a youngster, and the family invested heavily in lacrosse. 

That commitment meant long trips and summers spent living in an RV on Long Island so the boys could train and compete. Faison eventually arrived at Notre Dame as a walk-on and developed into a team captain and leading receiver.

Another feature followed safety Luke Talich, whose family had deep ties to Wyoming. His father attended the university, his older brother played there, and his uncle had played football for the Cowboys. Talich chose Notre Dame instead, arriving as a preferred walk-on before earning a scholarship and working his way into the starting lineup.

Those details do more than fill space between games. They explain the sacrifices behind a player’s development, the choices that shaped his career, and the support system that helped him get there. For young athletes hoping to reach the NFL, those journeys can include setbacks and detours that a stat sheet will never show.

Football questions remain essential. Coaches and players should be challenged on performance, preparation, and results. But coverage of the sport is richer when it also makes room for the lives behind the helmets.

Baia’s explanation was a reminder that not every useful answer has to concern Saturday’s opponent. Sometimes, the story worth telling begins years before a player steps onto a college field.