The outpouring of love for the late Greg Gumbel continues across sports media.
On Tuesday, Jamie Erdahl, the host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, shared a touching story about Gumbel from early on in her career. While she was the sideline reporter on CBS’ No. 3 broadcast team with Gumbel and Trent Green, Erdahl’s then-boyfriend reached out to Gumbel for a special project.
“Summer of 2016, my boyfriend at the time, Sam, calls Greg with plans to propose in London during our crew’s international assignment,” Erdahl explained. “Colts-Jags and a diamond ring. The two of them spent the next two months planning the perfect time window for me to have a break in a working weekend to get engaged. Greg was giddy to be involved.
“Fast-forward nine months, Sam and I are planning a big beautiful wedding in Minneapolis and I invite my NFL on CBS crew. Most of them work golf in the summer, and that’s everyone’s time with their families. I didn’t expect attendance. But who showed up? Greg Gumbel. He watched me walk down the aisle, I sat in between two of my very best girlfriend’s dads and they swapped stories about me as a child and the adult I was becoming. My dad approached Greg to thank him for all the support he had given me in my career thus far. And Greg replied, ‘Truth be told, she’s a good person and a hard worker. She doesn’t need my help.'”
Erdahl’s story confirms what sports fans have been hearing all weekend since news of Gumbel’s passing broke on Friday. He was universally beloved and a man of supreme character.
His presence on our television screens will be deeply missed.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.