Pam Oliver received a lot of attention while she was covering the Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers playoff game last weekend. The Fox Sports sideline reporters were trending on social media because fans assumed something was wrong with her after being seen slurring her words. However, Oliver was talking while standing in very cold weather, which is was a possible reason she had a hard time talking.
“Seeing some stuff about Pam Oliver’s hit from the sideline… If you’ve ever reported from Lambeau or Soldier Field in January, you know it’s so dang cold you can barely speak (especially if you’re standing out there all night),” NESN reporter Cealey Godwin tweeted. Oliver continued to receive a ton of support on social media as she’s one of the most respected reporters in sports.
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Oliver is part of the No. 2 broadcast team on Fox with Kevin Burkhardt and Daryl Johnston. She was previously part of the No. 1 team that included Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. That changed when Erin Andrews joined the team in 2014.
“Eventually, my bosses agreed to give me a final year on the sidelines, but they told me I’d no longer be working with the network’s ‘A’ crew,” Oliver wrote in Essence at the time. “The three of us have been a unit for a decade and suddenly we were being split up. That was very difficult to hear.” Here are seven quick facts on Oliver.
Florida Native
Oliver was born in Texas but grew up in Niceville, Florida. She attended Niceville High School and then enrolled at Florida A&M University, earning a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
Start in Georgia
Oliver began her broadcasting career in WALB in Albany, Georgia in 1985. From there, she spent time in Huntsville, Alabama, Buffalo, New York and Tampa Florida. In 1993, Oliver would get her big break.
ESPN
Oliver was hired in ESPN in 1993. She would be with the four-letter network for two years before getting the gig at Fox Sports.
Top Sideline Reporter in 1995
Oliver was part of the No. 1 NFL broadcast team for Fox Sports which included Pat Summerall and John Madden. It would be a position she would have for nearly 20 years.
Worked for TNT
Along with her NFL work, Oliver spent time on the NBA side. In 2005, Oliver joined TNT as a sidelined reporter for the NBA players and would do it for five seasons.
Moved to No. 2 Team on Fox
Oliver was moved to the No. 2 broadcast team on Fox in 2014 when the company hired Andrews. She currently holds the position today.
Other Accomplishments
In 2016, Oliver was a correspondent for 60 Minutes Sports. She has received numerous awards, including the Atlanta Women in Sports Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and the Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media in 2018.
