March 22, 2021 • 18 mins
Host Olivia Landis welcomes the host of NFL Network's _NFL Total Access_, MJ Acosta-Ruiz to the New YorkHER podcast. Landis and Acosta-Ruiz discuss how her father's professional basketball career in the Dominican Republic influenced her love for sports. Acosta-Ruiz talks about spending time as child in the Dominican Republic, New York and Miami and how each place played a role in her life. She talks about her goals of owning her own dance studio and her love for dance growing up. Acosta-Ruiz describes her experience working as a full-time television reporter while being a Miami Dolphins cheerleader. Finally, Landis and Acosta-Ruiz discuss advice and guiding principles for success in the sports industry.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome into another episode of The New
Yorker Podcast presented by Visa. I'm your host Olivia landis
all month long. It is Women's History Month, the month
of March. I've been able to have some already incredible
women on the podcast to talk about careers, life and experiences.
And this week I am super excited to announce m
(00:23):
j Acosta, who is the host of NFL Total Access.
She works for NFL Network. Love following her content. M J,
thank you so much for joining us on the New
Yorker Podcast. Thanks for having me. By the way, I'm
obsessed with the name of this podcast. I'm not clever
enough to come up with you. It's like workplay. So
I love how you guys found out. Thank you. I
appreciate it. I honestly, I can't take the credit because
(00:45):
I'm not like a super creative when it comes to name,
so I had a lot of help on that one,
but I appreciate it. M J. Let's dive into who
you are and some of your career. Uh, when I
was doing a lot of research and I've been following
your career for a while now actually, and you've done
some amazing things with NFL Network. But before you started
(01:06):
in sports, and before all of this kind of came
to light and you were able to get your career started,
you grew up with a father who was a professional
basketball player for the Dominican Republic. And I would love
to know how much that had an influence on your
love for sports. Yeah. So my dad played at the
(01:26):
played at the pro level, UM in the Medicare Republic,
which is where he and my mom marked from. This was,
I mean before my parents even ever met, right. So
he was in his early college days in medical school. UM,
but he always had this love and this very huge
talent for basketball. So he was recruited onto the national team. UM.
They're sort of in the first years of its inceptions
from the very early eighties. UM, and he played for
(01:49):
several years until he decided to focus solely on his
medical degree. UM. So when they immigrated to the United States,
and UM, both he and my mom sort of had
to start completely over. UM. One of the things that
that really helped them through some of those very difficult times.
We're actually living in Washington Heights in New York, UM
was his love of basketball. So he joined an Optimist
(02:12):
League um there in Washington Heights, and so pretty much
every single night after school I was with him at practice,
whether I was finishing up my homework core side, if
my mom let me um to just learning like how
to dribble, on how to shoot. I mean it was
you can imagine this tiny, little, like six seven year
old girl and these like gigantic dudes playing basketball. But
I loved being there with him every night, and it
(02:33):
really was the start of my love for sports. Not
to mention in the Medical Republic, as you know, one
of our biggest exports baseball players. So baseball also a
huge part of my life. Football didn't come into play
until I got into high school really, so that's where
it all sort of started for me. And what was
it like for you to have a father growing up
watching him play both professionally, and then, like you said,
(02:55):
you immigrated to the United they your parents immigrated to
the United States, You grew up for a while in
Washington Heights and you watched him play more basketball. What
was that like for you to be able to see
somebody you love so much and look up to him
in a big sports world. Yeah, it was really cool,
especially because it wasn't just my dad, it was all
of my uncles as well and cousins. I mean, um,
(03:15):
anyone who's from New York knows this, Like the pickup
basketball game is sort of like such a crux of
the culture there. Um, So if we weren't inside the
gym at the court, it was at a park, um,
you know, playing ball. Sadly, I did not inherit his
talent for basketball and athleticism, but my love for it
certainly was there. So um it was. I was just
surrounded by it at all times. And so every person
(03:37):
in my life, from my aunt's to my uncle's, my cousins,
all mature, like, all right, we're not only gonna love
the game, but also understand how to play it and
welcome to still it too. Something interesting you said in
you know, our fellow New Yorkers who are listening to
this podcast, I'm sure I can relate. You said that
the game of basketball, pickup game at basketball is really
(03:57):
part of the culture when it comes to being a
true New Yorker. Right. Why is that though, Because I'm
not from New York. I'm from Colorado, so I'm from
the Mountain West, and when I moved out here and
moved back here for this job with the New York Jets,
and you know, when you moved to a new place,
you start to learn the culture and how every everybody
grows up. But why is it such a big staple
(04:19):
in New York City life? I think part of it
too is the accessibility to it, right, Like you can
go to any given park and there's a hoop. Um.
I know in my neighborhoods they were making hoops out
of you know, like low creates, um and such. So
it's just really being able to have the access to it.
I think it's a big part of it. But culturally too, um,
if you're coming from black and brown communities of basketball
(04:39):
and sports in general are very big part of that.
So I think it was a time when people could
just really get together. Um, the guys in particular, could
just meet up. It was it was such Um. I
remember my cousins, I mean constantly we're in basketball shorts
with a ball in their arm. I mean there wasn't
one time that I can picture of them unless we
were like out a family gathering, um, where that wasn't
so of the look. I mean I can't from as
(05:02):
early as I can remember. That was just part of
daily life, all right. You go to school, jeer, homework,
you go to the court, and that was it. That's
so interesting. And you grew up, like you said, in
Washington Heights and had that experience as New Yorker. But
then your family kind of picked up and moved to Miami, Florida.
Was that a big adjustment for you. Oh, tremendous, tremendous.
I mean, my mom was very much done with the
(05:24):
blizzards and the winter and all of that stuff. We
had a crazy blizzard of the year before we moved
to Florida. Um, and that pretty much pretty much put
the pin in it. It's a wrap. We're going back
to Miami, and I say, back to Miami, that's actually
where I was born. I was born in Miami, Florida
before we quickly went to the Dominican Republic and then
to New York. So it was a kind of an
interesting little loop for us there as a family. UM,
(05:46):
but we have kind of family in Miami as well,
and um, it just became sort of the next chapter.
So I started high school um in Miami, and it's
totally different, not so much culturally because we were still
surrounded by so many different ethnicities and people from different
countries in South America and the Caribbean. Um, so we
still sort of felt comfortable in that sense. But the
(06:07):
lifestyle of Miami to New York is very very different.
Not to mention, but um, it was an adjustment just
for me as a teenager, right like who wants to
leave the only home they really remember as a teenager.
It was very that dark and gloomy teenage part of me.
But I very quickly adjusted. Um, there was no choice because, UM,
I don't know if you once your mom says this
(06:27):
is where we're going, it's a wrap, then have a
say in the mat. Once mom puts her foot down,
that's really it. Well, fast forward, you went to Barry
University and you received your Bachelor of Arts and Communications.
At that point when you were a college student, did
you know you wanted to be on television and you
(06:50):
wanted to be in sports or where did that come
from and when did that come into play? Yeah? Well
to answer that actually have to rewind a little bit
because my roach Verry actually went through several different avenues. Um,
out of high school going into college, I really didn't
know what I wanted to do. All I knew is
that I wanted to dance. I've been a dancer since
how it was a little girl, um, ballet, jazz, hip hop, latin,
(07:12):
you name it. I did it in the studios. Um
you know, worked on the weekends just so I could
pay my way through through a dance studio class. Um
So that's all I really knew that I love to do.
So my goal was to just own my own dance studio.
So I started off as a business major. Um right
out of high school. Very quickly remembered that math and I, no,
it's not a good method. Um so, you know, and
(07:34):
in taking these classes and I don't know, I'm still
love the mindset. Like some people perhaps all their lives,
know what they're destined for. But I think both folks
at eighteen have absolutely no clue, like what's coming next?
Um So I was. I went through my first couple
of years of school, I realized I was very, very lost.
So I sort of found comfort in the one thing
I knew that I loved, which was dance. So I
(07:55):
actually toured a bunch um as a professional dancer U
through the dance community in Miami. UM and that ultimately
led me to a job on a TV show, UM
on a sister network to Telemundo, was so sort of
like a music show. I think like flag Girls on
a Living Color. Not sure from um aging myself with
that reference, but sort of the five of what the
(08:17):
show was. And I was one of the dancers on
the show. But that was my intro to the world
of television and broadcast and all of that. So UM,
I would go in every day and like talk to
the producers, like picked the brain of the hosts, go
to master control. I mean, I've told the story a
billion times because I was so u just excited about
the possibilities and how the show came together. So after that,
(08:38):
at that point in my life, I had taken a
break from school to figure it out, and it sort
of came to me like one passion led me to
what is now my career. So I re enrolled the
next semester at Barry University as a new student, and
then it was full seem ahead, especially because I was
a little bit older at that point, right, I was
like twenty six when I went back to school, which
most people are done with college at that age. So
I really felt like I was behind mind. Um, so
(09:01):
I focused all my energy on finishing my degree and um,
you know, starting to get to work, and I have
not stopped working since that's usually how it goes to it.
Once you once you find your passion and find exactly
what it is you want to do, it's kind of
just like keep grinding from there, right exactly exactly, But
you weren't quite ready to give up dance, right because
(09:22):
you were an NFL cheerleader for a couple of seasons.
So what went into that decision or really just how
did that kind of laid itself out? Yeah, so I auditioned.
It was a goal of mine as a dancer for
a long time to dance at the professional sports level,
which um for most women as either NBA or or NFL.
So I tried out for the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders many
(09:45):
many times, and I like finished, you know, I was
checking off all of these other goals of mine. I
finished my degree, I started working in journalism. I was
really full forced, and I still had this one very
major goal that I had yet to accomplis and so
something and me said, Okay, now I'm working full time,
but I still have it. I still have it in
me to give it one more go. This was not
(10:07):
my fifth time auditioning for the moment, so um, I
guess so I And that was the year that I
made it as I was already a full time reporter.
And I don't know, I think things just um, when
you're really pouring pouring your energy into something and are
very focused on what you want, things start to align
(10:27):
when you're putting into work, and so those two things
just fused together. I managed to balance it, you know,
all at once. But it was the most incredible experience.
I'm so glad that um, I bet on myself, um,
and that I gave it one more shot because I
will never forget that experience to this day. I carry
it with me so closely. And big kudos to you
for those of you listening or watching the podcast. Uh,
(10:50):
it is not easy. And I know a firsthand because
I used to sit at some of you know, the
New York Jets. There they're cheerleading and dancing squad is
called the flight crew. So I sat firsthand and watched
some of these auditions, and you really get a new
found respect for how tough it is because it's its
own sport. It's its own passion pathway for people. So
(11:11):
I commend you for continuing to try, try out and
and live out your dreams, because that's it's not something easy,
it's really not so. So then you know, having watching
those conditions, it's several, it's a process that several several
weeks in the making. You have to go several rounds,
you go through boot camp. Then you you know there's
cuts along the way. So the same thing with Dolphins.
I would make it all the way to finals every
(11:33):
single year and then just come up short making the team.
So I think that part of it too is like, oh,
I know that I'm right there, that I could just
still do it. So for anyone listening who who has
maybe been rejected a lot of times. By the way,
which is also parallel to what we do in journalism,
you get a lot of notes before you get a yes, um.
So I think it also prepared me in that sense,
um for for this life as a journalist too. Well,
(11:55):
you pretty much seguate it perfectly into my next question
because you said the NFL kind of came a little
bit later in life, and your passion for football came later.
Was that the first kind of it you got for like, wow,
I really love football. This is where I want to be.
Is that is that where it came from? Where did
it start before that? It started before that because I
was actually um a collegiate dancer as well for the
(12:17):
University of Miami. So UM my earlier, like right out
of high school, UM, before I took a break from college. UM,
I was at University of Miami Hurricane at for three seasons. UM.
So it was such an incredible time. This is right
after they won the national championship with the two thousand
one freshman year, so like that buzz was still building.
I mean it was incredible. We were at the original
(12:38):
Orange Bowl, UM, so so much history there. But UM,
I really fell in love with American football UM in
high school and so that led me through to you know,
audition UM at the University of Miami. And then I mean,
once you're chairing for the you it's kind of impossible
not to be completely obsessed with all things football. So UM,
(12:59):
it just became such a such an obsession of my
in my life. UM. It took it to another level
once I was in college. UM, and then UM, as
I followed so many of our players UM, from the
U S in the NFL. You know, it all bleeds
through and it all comes together. So let's let's fast
forward now. After you were able to spend a couple
of years in the NFL as UM as a cheerleader. UM.
(13:23):
After that you were able to work UM. Correct me
if I'm wrong, I tell Mundo correct. And then a
local station in Florida. Is that kind of where you
first got up? Yeah, I stayed in Miami. UM. I
was working for a couple of different UM sort of
independent stations and different projects there, and then worked for
the ABC station there as well. So my first about
(13:44):
five six years in the industry, you were were in
the South Florida market. UM worked for ABC in Miami,
w p LG UM and then UM. At that point,
I was doing a little bit of everything, so hard news, anchoring, traffic, anchoring, UM, sports.
Of course, I style entertainment, but I knew that sports
was really my focus. UM. And listen, if you're a
(14:05):
sports broadcaster in Miami, that's kind of like you ain't
going anywhere for a while, right. So I knew that
if I really wanted to get more experience and more opportunities,
I was going to have to sort of break out
of that box, that comfort zone that I knew. UM. So,
an opportunity came up in San Diego for me to
be the lead sports anchor UM at the NBC affiliate there,
(14:27):
and I said, you know what the time is now? UM.
So I packed up all my stuff and literally across
the country UM and started there. So there I was
able to cover the Chargers of course before they moved
to l A. UM baseball of course with the Padres,
and UM International Soccer UM with the totals who are
playing the league I X for Mexico. It was such
(14:48):
an all encompassing experience. UM, probably a point in my
career and in my life where I learned more about
what I truly loved and more about myself than I
had ever done before, and that led me here to UM.
The opportunities that I've had at the NFL network. Well,
besides being able to learn more about yourself and learn
more about the things that you truly want to focus
(15:09):
on when it comes to your career, how did those
smaller steps prepare you for where you're at now in
your career? Yeah? I never like to think of them
as as smaller steps. Right, because each step UM gradually
build on the other, right. So it's an accumulation as
you go on. But having to be your own producer,
your own writer, your own editor, your one person band, UM,
(15:30):
it really is invaluable experience being out there gaining your credibility,
building relationships with organizations, with players, with teams, with executives.
I mean that kind of experience, UM, can't be bought.
It was. It was just one of those things where
you're sort of thrown into the deep end and it's
quite literally sink or swims. Um. So every single step
(15:51):
and every point on my career, regardless of how challenging
it was, it's really a point where like, all right,
let's go, girl, this is what you've been waiting for.
So UM, you don't always get it right. I've made
a lot of mistakes in my career to truss me
a lot of each one. You can either sit there
and sulk, which I give myself about twenty four hours
to um and pick yourself back up and and and
(16:13):
you see what you can glean um from from from
every single moment. So it's it's been an incredible ride.
And I know it's been over a decade at this
point in the biz. But I'm truly truly just getting
started now that you are where you're at today, and
with like you said, accumulating all of these steps that
(16:34):
they build off one another and each opportunity taught you
something different. What is one piece of advice you would
offer to not just people in journalism but in general
who are trying to go and chase their dreams. Uh,
be on yourself always always don't forget that what you're
bringing to the table is not only necessary, um, but
it's also so special and so needed. Um. I think
(16:55):
a lot of times, especially in broadcasting right in journalism, UM,
we feel and as women, if I can be quite frank, um,
we're just like, I'm so happy to be here. But
you know what, they're just as lucky to have you
there as well. UM. So remember that you've earned, um
every accomplishment and you've earned all the cuts and bruises
on the way as well, um, and so that only
(17:17):
makes you better for the wear. So um, just just
don't forget that the vessel that you are brings with
it a lot of beautiful things that that anybody would
be lucky to have. Absolutely incredible note to end, on.
Thank you so much m j. A. Kosta for joining
us on The New Yorker Podcast presented by Visa. There's
a pleasure to talk to you, and good luck. We
will be supporting you for NFL Network. Thank you, Olivia. Likewise,
(17:40):
that's a wrap on another episode of The New Yorker
Podcast presented by Visa. Ladies and gentlemen, everybody who takes
the time to listen in every single week. We want
to thank you guys, me and my producer, everybody involved,
thank you for listening. Be sure to subscribe and share.
If there's this particular episode that stands out to you,
leave some comments and let us know what you want
(18:00):
to hear more of. But thank you guys again. We'll
see you next time. H m hm
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome into another episode of The New
Yorker Podcast presented by Visa. I'm your host Olivia landis
all month long. It is Women's History Month, the month
of March. I've been able to have some already incredible
women on the podcast to talk about careers, life and experiences.
And this week I am super excited to announce m
(00:23):
j Acosta, who is the host of NFL Total Access.
She works for NFL Network. Love following her content. M J,
thank you so much for joining us on the New
Yorker Podcast. Thanks for having me. By the way, I'm
obsessed with the name of this podcast. I'm not clever
enough to come up with you. It's like workplay. So
I love how you guys found out. Thank you. I
appreciate it. I honestly, I can't take the credit because
(00:45):
I'm not like a super creative when it comes to name,
so I had a lot of help on that one,
but I appreciate it. M J. Let's dive into who
you are and some of your career. Uh, when I
was doing a lot of research and I've been following
your career for a while now actually, and you've done
some amazing things with NFL Network. But before you started
(01:06):
in sports, and before all of this kind of came
to light and you were able to get your career started,
you grew up with a father who was a professional
basketball player for the Dominican Republic. And I would love
to know how much that had an influence on your
love for sports. Yeah. So my dad played at the
(01:26):
played at the pro level, UM in the Medicare Republic,
which is where he and my mom marked from. This was,
I mean before my parents even ever met, right. So
he was in his early college days in medical school. UM,
but he always had this love and this very huge
talent for basketball. So he was recruited onto the national team. UM.
They're sort of in the first years of its inceptions
from the very early eighties. UM, and he played for
(01:49):
several years until he decided to focus solely on his
medical degree. UM. So when they immigrated to the United States,
and UM, both he and my mom sort of had
to start completely over. UM. One of the things that
that really helped them through some of those very difficult times.
We're actually living in Washington Heights in New York, UM
was his love of basketball. So he joined an Optimist
(02:12):
League um there in Washington Heights, and so pretty much
every single night after school I was with him at practice,
whether I was finishing up my homework core side, if
my mom let me um to just learning like how
to dribble, on how to shoot. I mean it was
you can imagine this tiny, little, like six seven year
old girl and these like gigantic dudes playing basketball. But
I loved being there with him every night, and it
(02:33):
really was the start of my love for sports. Not
to mention in the Medical Republic, as you know, one
of our biggest exports baseball players. So baseball also a
huge part of my life. Football didn't come into play
until I got into high school really, so that's where
it all sort of started for me. And what was
it like for you to have a father growing up
watching him play both professionally, and then, like you said,
(02:55):
you immigrated to the United they your parents immigrated to
the United States, You grew up for a while in
Washington Heights and you watched him play more basketball. What
was that like for you to be able to see
somebody you love so much and look up to him
in a big sports world. Yeah, it was really cool,
especially because it wasn't just my dad, it was all
of my uncles as well and cousins. I mean, um,
(03:15):
anyone who's from New York knows this, Like the pickup
basketball game is sort of like such a crux of
the culture there. Um, So if we weren't inside the
gym at the court, it was at a park, um,
you know, playing ball. Sadly, I did not inherit his
talent for basketball and athleticism, but my love for it
certainly was there. So um it was. I was just
surrounded by it at all times. And so every person
(03:37):
in my life, from my aunt's to my uncle's, my cousins,
all mature, like, all right, we're not only gonna love
the game, but also understand how to play it and
welcome to still it too. Something interesting you said in
you know, our fellow New Yorkers who are listening to
this podcast, I'm sure I can relate. You said that
the game of basketball, pickup game at basketball is really
(03:57):
part of the culture when it comes to being a
true New Yorker. Right. Why is that though, Because I'm
not from New York. I'm from Colorado, so I'm from
the Mountain West, and when I moved out here and
moved back here for this job with the New York Jets,
and you know, when you moved to a new place,
you start to learn the culture and how every everybody
grows up. But why is it such a big staple
(04:19):
in New York City life? I think part of it
too is the accessibility to it, right, Like you can
go to any given park and there's a hoop. Um.
I know in my neighborhoods they were making hoops out
of you know, like low creates, um and such. So
it's just really being able to have the access to it.
I think it's a big part of it. But culturally too, um,
if you're coming from black and brown communities of basketball
(04:39):
and sports in general are very big part of that.
So I think it was a time when people could
just really get together. Um, the guys in particular, could
just meet up. It was it was such Um. I
remember my cousins, I mean constantly we're in basketball shorts
with a ball in their arm. I mean there wasn't
one time that I can picture of them unless we
were like out a family gathering, um, where that wasn't
so of the look. I mean I can't from as
(05:02):
early as I can remember. That was just part of
daily life, all right. You go to school, jeer, homework,
you go to the court, and that was it. That's
so interesting. And you grew up, like you said, in
Washington Heights and had that experience as New Yorker. But
then your family kind of picked up and moved to Miami, Florida.
Was that a big adjustment for you. Oh, tremendous, tremendous.
I mean, my mom was very much done with the
(05:24):
blizzards and the winter and all of that stuff. We
had a crazy blizzard of the year before we moved
to Florida. Um, and that pretty much pretty much put
the pin in it. It's a wrap. We're going back
to Miami, and I say, back to Miami, that's actually
where I was born. I was born in Miami, Florida
before we quickly went to the Dominican Republic and then
to New York. So it was a kind of an
interesting little loop for us there as a family. UM,
(05:46):
but we have kind of family in Miami as well,
and um, it just became sort of the next chapter.
So I started high school um in Miami, and it's
totally different, not so much culturally because we were still
surrounded by so many different ethnicities and people from different
countries in South America and the Caribbean. Um, so we
still sort of felt comfortable in that sense. But the
(06:07):
lifestyle of Miami to New York is very very different.
Not to mention, but um, it was an adjustment just
for me as a teenager, right like who wants to
leave the only home they really remember as a teenager.
It was very that dark and gloomy teenage part of me.
But I very quickly adjusted. Um, there was no choice because, UM,
I don't know if you once your mom says this
(06:27):
is where we're going, it's a wrap, then have a
say in the mat. Once mom puts her foot down,
that's really it. Well, fast forward, you went to Barry
University and you received your Bachelor of Arts and Communications.
At that point when you were a college student, did
you know you wanted to be on television and you
(06:50):
wanted to be in sports or where did that come
from and when did that come into play? Yeah? Well
to answer that actually have to rewind a little bit
because my roach Verry actually went through several different avenues. Um,
out of high school going into college, I really didn't
know what I wanted to do. All I knew is
that I wanted to dance. I've been a dancer since
how it was a little girl, um, ballet, jazz, hip hop, latin,
(07:12):
you name it. I did it in the studios. Um
you know, worked on the weekends just so I could
pay my way through through a dance studio class. Um
So that's all I really knew that I love to do.
So my goal was to just own my own dance studio.
So I started off as a business major. Um right
out of high school. Very quickly remembered that math and I, no,
it's not a good method. Um so, you know, and
(07:34):
in taking these classes and I don't know, I'm still
love the mindset. Like some people perhaps all their lives,
know what they're destined for. But I think both folks
at eighteen have absolutely no clue, like what's coming next?
Um So I was. I went through my first couple
of years of school, I realized I was very, very lost.
So I sort of found comfort in the one thing
I knew that I loved, which was dance. So I
(07:55):
actually toured a bunch um as a professional dancer U
through the dance community in Miami. UM and that ultimately
led me to a job on a TV show, UM
on a sister network to Telemundo, was so sort of
like a music show. I think like flag Girls on
a Living Color. Not sure from um aging myself with
that reference, but sort of the five of what the
(08:17):
show was. And I was one of the dancers on
the show. But that was my intro to the world
of television and broadcast and all of that. So UM,
I would go in every day and like talk to
the producers, like picked the brain of the hosts, go
to master control. I mean, I've told the story a
billion times because I was so u just excited about
the possibilities and how the show came together. So after that,
(08:38):
at that point in my life, I had taken a
break from school to figure it out, and it sort
of came to me like one passion led me to
what is now my career. So I re enrolled the
next semester at Barry University as a new student, and
then it was full seem ahead, especially because I was
a little bit older at that point, right, I was
like twenty six when I went back to school, which
most people are done with college at that age. So
I really felt like I was behind mind. Um, so
(09:01):
I focused all my energy on finishing my degree and um,
you know, starting to get to work, and I have
not stopped working since that's usually how it goes to it.
Once you once you find your passion and find exactly
what it is you want to do, it's kind of
just like keep grinding from there, right exactly exactly, But
you weren't quite ready to give up dance, right because
(09:22):
you were an NFL cheerleader for a couple of seasons.
So what went into that decision or really just how
did that kind of laid itself out? Yeah, so I auditioned.
It was a goal of mine as a dancer for
a long time to dance at the professional sports level,
which um for most women as either NBA or or NFL.
So I tried out for the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders many
(09:45):
many times, and I like finished, you know, I was
checking off all of these other goals of mine. I
finished my degree, I started working in journalism. I was
really full forced, and I still had this one very
major goal that I had yet to accomplis and so
something and me said, Okay, now I'm working full time,
but I still have it. I still have it in
me to give it one more go. This was not
(10:07):
my fifth time auditioning for the moment, so um, I
guess so I And that was the year that I
made it as I was already a full time reporter.
And I don't know, I think things just um, when
you're really pouring pouring your energy into something and are
very focused on what you want, things start to align
(10:27):
when you're putting into work, and so those two things
just fused together. I managed to balance it, you know,
all at once. But it was the most incredible experience.
I'm so glad that um, I bet on myself, um,
and that I gave it one more shot because I
will never forget that experience to this day. I carry
it with me so closely. And big kudos to you
for those of you listening or watching the podcast. Uh,
(10:50):
it is not easy. And I know a firsthand because
I used to sit at some of you know, the
New York Jets. There they're cheerleading and dancing squad is
called the flight crew. So I sat firsthand and watched
some of these auditions, and you really get a new
found respect for how tough it is because it's its
own sport. It's its own passion pathway for people. So
(11:11):
I commend you for continuing to try, try out and
and live out your dreams, because that's it's not something easy,
it's really not so. So then you know, having watching
those conditions, it's several, it's a process that several several
weeks in the making. You have to go several rounds,
you go through boot camp. Then you you know there's
cuts along the way. So the same thing with Dolphins.
I would make it all the way to finals every
(11:33):
single year and then just come up short making the team.
So I think that part of it too is like, oh,
I know that I'm right there, that I could just
still do it. So for anyone listening who who has
maybe been rejected a lot of times. By the way,
which is also parallel to what we do in journalism,
you get a lot of notes before you get a yes, um.
So I think it also prepared me in that sense,
um for for this life as a journalist too. Well,
(11:55):
you pretty much seguate it perfectly into my next question
because you said the NFL kind of came a little
bit later in life, and your passion for football came later.
Was that the first kind of it you got for like, wow,
I really love football. This is where I want to be.
Is that is that where it came from? Where did
it start before that? It started before that because I
was actually um a collegiate dancer as well for the
(12:17):
University of Miami. So UM my earlier, like right out
of high school, UM, before I took a break from college. UM,
I was at University of Miami Hurricane at for three seasons. UM.
So it was such an incredible time. This is right
after they won the national championship with the two thousand
one freshman year, so like that buzz was still building.
I mean it was incredible. We were at the original
(12:38):
Orange Bowl, UM, so so much history there. But UM,
I really fell in love with American football UM in
high school and so that led me through to you know,
audition UM at the University of Miami. And then I mean,
once you're chairing for the you it's kind of impossible
not to be completely obsessed with all things football. So UM,
(12:59):
it just became such a such an obsession of my
in my life. UM. It took it to another level
once I was in college. UM, and then UM, as
I followed so many of our players UM, from the
U S in the NFL. You know, it all bleeds
through and it all comes together. So let's let's fast
forward now. After you were able to spend a couple
of years in the NFL as UM as a cheerleader. UM.
(13:23):
After that you were able to work UM. Correct me
if I'm wrong, I tell Mundo correct. And then a
local station in Florida. Is that kind of where you
first got up? Yeah, I stayed in Miami. UM. I
was working for a couple of different UM sort of
independent stations and different projects there, and then worked for
the ABC station there as well. So my first about
(13:44):
five six years in the industry, you were were in
the South Florida market. UM worked for ABC in Miami,
w p LG UM and then UM. At that point,
I was doing a little bit of everything, so hard news, anchoring, traffic, anchoring, UM, sports.
Of course, I style entertainment, but I knew that sports
was really my focus. UM. And listen, if you're a
(14:05):
sports broadcaster in Miami, that's kind of like you ain't
going anywhere for a while, right. So I knew that
if I really wanted to get more experience and more opportunities,
I was going to have to sort of break out
of that box, that comfort zone that I knew. UM. So,
an opportunity came up in San Diego for me to
be the lead sports anchor UM at the NBC affiliate there,
(14:27):
and I said, you know what the time is now? UM.
So I packed up all my stuff and literally across
the country UM and started there. So there I was
able to cover the Chargers of course before they moved
to l A. UM baseball of course with the Padres,
and UM International Soccer UM with the totals who are
playing the league I X for Mexico. It was such
(14:48):
an all encompassing experience. UM, probably a point in my
career and in my life where I learned more about
what I truly loved and more about myself than I
had ever done before, and that led me here to UM.
The opportunities that I've had at the NFL network. Well,
besides being able to learn more about yourself and learn
more about the things that you truly want to focus
(15:09):
on when it comes to your career, how did those
smaller steps prepare you for where you're at now in
your career? Yeah? I never like to think of them
as as smaller steps. Right, because each step UM gradually
build on the other, right. So it's an accumulation as
you go on. But having to be your own producer,
your own writer, your own editor, your one person band, UM,
(15:30):
it really is invaluable experience being out there gaining your credibility,
building relationships with organizations, with players, with teams, with executives.
I mean that kind of experience, UM, can't be bought.
It was. It was just one of those things where
you're sort of thrown into the deep end and it's
quite literally sink or swims. Um. So every single step
(15:51):
and every point on my career, regardless of how challenging
it was, it's really a point where like, all right,
let's go, girl, this is what you've been waiting for.
So UM, you don't always get it right. I've made
a lot of mistakes in my career to truss me
a lot of each one. You can either sit there
and sulk, which I give myself about twenty four hours
to um and pick yourself back up and and and
(16:13):
you see what you can glean um from from from
every single moment. So it's it's been an incredible ride.
And I know it's been over a decade at this
point in the biz. But I'm truly truly just getting
started now that you are where you're at today, and
with like you said, accumulating all of these steps that
(16:34):
they build off one another and each opportunity taught you
something different. What is one piece of advice you would
offer to not just people in journalism but in general
who are trying to go and chase their dreams. Uh,
be on yourself always always don't forget that what you're
bringing to the table is not only necessary, um, but
it's also so special and so needed. Um. I think
(16:55):
a lot of times, especially in broadcasting right in journalism, UM,
we feel and as women, if I can be quite frank, um,
we're just like, I'm so happy to be here. But
you know what, they're just as lucky to have you
there as well. UM. So remember that you've earned, um
every accomplishment and you've earned all the cuts and bruises
on the way as well, um, and so that only
(17:17):
makes you better for the wear. So um, just just
don't forget that the vessel that you are brings with
it a lot of beautiful things that that anybody would
be lucky to have. Absolutely incredible note to end, on.
Thank you so much m j. A. Kosta for joining
us on The New Yorker Podcast presented by Visa. There's
a pleasure to talk to you, and good luck. We
will be supporting you for NFL Network. Thank you, Olivia. Likewise,
(17:40):
that's a wrap on another episode of The New Yorker
Podcast presented by Visa. Ladies and gentlemen, everybody who takes
the time to listen in every single week. We want
to thank you guys, me and my producer, everybody involved,
thank you for listening. Be sure to subscribe and share.
If there's this particular episode that stands out to you,
leave some comments and let us know what you want
(18:00):
to hear more of. But thank you guys again. We'll
see you next time. H m hm
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