Before Erin Andrews was navigating NFL sidelines with a mic in one hand and a clipboard in the other, she was just a tall, shy kid growing up under the humid skies of Tampa Bay. Still learning how to blend in, stand out, and keep her…pants up. The Andrews family had landed in Tampa after a major move from Maine – her dad, Steve, taking up a gig at WFLA as an investigative reporter, and her mom, Paula, handling the chaos of relocation. While Tampa would become home through high school and the launchpad for Erin’s career in sports broadcasting, it all started with one wild scene from early childhood that she’s never quite lived down.

Imagine walking into school as a kid, ready to make the perfect first impression – ‘be cool, be liked’ – and your mom completely tanks it. That was Erin Andrews. “So in kindergarten,” Erin shared the deets on her Calm Down podcast with co-host Charissa Thompson. “My mom sent me to school with underpants when the elastic band was shot. And as I was walking off the bus, they slowly started creeping down. I didn’t want to pull them up. I guess I was like, everyone will see my bum. So I just walked into class with the underpants around my ankles.” Yup. That was her first day of school. Her “Hey, I’m Erin Andrews. It’s my first day” moment involved gravity, regret, and probably a traumatized homeroom teacher. 

But it wasn’t exactly her mom’s fault… at least not entirely. “My mom felt so bad because we had just moved from Maine to San Antonio and the moving truck wasn’t there yet,” she explained. “My mom’s like, these were the last pair of undies. They were shot for you. I thought I’m wearing a dress.” You know, the classic ‘they’ll never notice’ parenting logic. Andrews walked straight into that classroom with her dignity dragging somewhere near her Velcro sneakers.

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But in retrospect, it checks out. The girl who would grow up to dodge cameras, Twitter trolls, and cold-weather sideline hits had already faced the ultimate public embarrassment. The NFL may have blitzes, but kindergarten had its kind of pressure. If anything, it’s a perfect metaphor for Andrews’ whole journey – embracing the mess, pushing through the awkward, and owning every moment like it’s live TV. Because once you survive your first day with your underwear around your ankles? You’re basically built for broadcast. Now that the trauma of kindergarten is behind her, Erin Andrews has a new challenge to face: America’s fastest-growing sport. 

Erin Andrews swaps NFL turf for Pickleball courts in her offseason pivot

On her Calm Down podcast, Andrews revealed she’s officially joined the pickleball craze. “I’m in a real cardio, Pilates era that I’m enjoying,” she said. “But I also want to be out in the elements, I want to try different things.” Pickleball, apparently, was calling her name. Like any self-respecting TV personality, her first concern wasn’t the serve – it was the fit. “I didn’t love my outfit I showed up with, so I went to the pro shop and bought a full-fledged outfit,” she admitted. Respect. Priorities in check.

She’s now committing to actual lessons. Though she’s still figuring out where to place her weight and how not to roll an ankle. “I know I’m supposed to stay back in the middle,” she laughed. “Can definitely see how people get injured. I want to get good, but I won’t have time to do this during the season.” Luckily, she’s not going it alone. Co-host Charissa Thompson offered to hit the courts with her, and her husband’s already helping her get a rally going. 

And with 20 million Americans playing pickleball last year, she’s joined a tidal wave of paddle-wielding beginners. So from sideline superstar to center court hopeful – Erin Andrews is still chasing action, still learning, and still making sure the outfit’s on point. This time, though, the elastic band is fully intact.