Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (2024)

Laura Rutledge is a staple on the sidelines during college football season in the Southeastern Conference over the last several years. The sideline reporter and sports journalist has even once been tackled herself and asked out on a date on social media by the player who decked her. While that athlete may have been looking for a spark, Laura Rutledge's husband didn't bump into her on the field.

The 32-year-old Rutledge works for ESPN, SEC Network and CNN International and earned a promotion in June 2020 to replace Wendi Nix as the host ofESPN's NFL Live after signing an extension with ESPN in 2019. Rutledge has pretty much done it all in her broadcasting career thus far.

She's worked on Get Up, SportsCenter, SEC Nation, CNN's New Day and Early Start and HLN's Morning Express with Robin Meade. Prior to landing roles at ESPN, she spent time working San Diego Padres games and Fox broadcasts of Tampa Bay Rays games, covering the San Diego Chargers and hosting "Chargers Insider" and "SD Live" for Fox Sports San Diego in 2013. She used to host the Coors Light PostGame show on Fox College Football and hosted halftime programming for FSN college football games. She even provided Fox College Sports coverage of the NCPA's 2012 National Paintball Championship in Lakeland, Florida, after college.

The talented and beautiful Rutledge was born Laura McKeeman to Deborah McKeeman and Robert McKeeman in St. Petersburg, Florida. She spent her early life on the west coast of Florida and attended Celebration High School in Celebration, Florida.

Rutledge bleeds orange and blue, as she earned a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Florida. She also used to be a beauty pageant queen who won Miss Florida 2012 and competed in Miss America 2013.

So, who's the lucky man who gets to call Laura his wife? That would be Mr. Josh Rutledge.

Who Is Laura Rutledge's HusbandJosh Rutledge?

Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (1)

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Laura's husband is former professional baseball player Josh Rutledge. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, he was a three-year starter on the University of Alabama baseball team from 2008-11.

In Tuscaloosa, Rutledge played shortstop and developed into an All-SEC first team player. He led the team in numerous hitting categories as a freshman, including batting average (.369), hits (99), runs scored (62) and stolen bases (16).

By the time the freshman phenom's NCAA career was up, he was one of the highly touted SEC players ahead of the 2010 MLB Draft. The Colorado Rockies selected him in the third round of the same draft stars like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Christian Yelich were taken.

Rutledge's Professional Baseball Career

Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (2)

Photo by Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Rutledge progressed through the minor leagues and earned his call-up to the show in 2012 when the Rockies needed an infielder to replace shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. As a rookie, Rutledge hit .274 with eight home runs and seven stolen bases in 73 games.

He played two more seasons in Colorado and solidified himself as a decent baseballinfielder and utility player. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2014 and spent times with the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants before officially retiring in 2018.

How Did They Meet?

Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (3)

Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

RELATED: Georgia RB Ran Over a Sideline Reporter, Then Asked Her Out

Tailgates in the SEC are unlike any other in the country. They're also apparently where people find love.

Laura and Josh met at a random tailgate before an Alabama Crimson Tide football game in 2011. The two even revisited the same tent cupid shot his arrow at five years later.

"Sometimes you walk up to a random tailgate and meet your future husband. That happened to me almost five years ago. So, naturally @jarutledge and I went back to that exact same tailgate today for the first time since we met. We even found the same tent where it all started," Laura wrote on Instagram.

The American beauty pageant titleholder and ballplayer got married in 2013 and took their engagement photos at Coors Field, home of the Rockies where Josh was playing at the time.

They Have a Daughter Together

The pair welcomed a daughter, Reese Katherine Rutledge, to the world in October 2019. They live in Birmingham, where Josh is from.

The sports reporter is still traveling during football seasons, and Josh went back to school to earn his degree from Alabama in 2019. He now works as a financial professional, according to his Instagram.

Laura Rutledge Net Worth

Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (4)

Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

According to reports, Laura Rutledge's net worth is an estimated $500,000. Considering she's been climbing the ladder as a rising star with ESPN, that number figures to grow.

This article was originally published on August 25, 2021, and has been updated since.

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Laura Rutledge Met Her MLB Husband at an Alabama Tailgate (2024)

FAQs

How did Josh and Laura Rutledge meet? ›

He met Laura at a football tailgate in 2011

Laura shared how they met in 2011 while attending a football game at the University of Alabama. According to the former Get Up host, she "walked up to a random tailgate" and crossed paths with Josh for the first time.

What does Josh Rutledge do for a living? ›

Josh Rutledge, meanwhile, returned to the University of Alabama after finishing his baseball career. He has since transitioned to being a financial advisor, based on the latest reports.

What is Laura Rutledge's salary at ESPN? ›

Rutledge's annual salary is roughly $400,000.

Where did Laura Rutledge go to high school? ›

Personal life. She attended Celebration High School in Celebration, Florida. She married Josh Rutledge, a professional baseball player, in 2013. On October 2, 2019, Rutledge gave birth to a daughter, Reese Katherine Rutledge, and revealed that she and her daughter share the same birthday.

How much does Josh Rutledge make? ›

Josh Rutledge signed a 1 year , $600,000 contract with the Boston Red Sox, including $600,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $600,000.

Did Laura Rutledge have a baby? ›

ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge announced a new addition to her family, revealing she gave birth to a baby boy in May. "Our angel baby," Rutledge wrote. Rutledge also shared photos of Jack, and a video of her daughter, 3-year-old Reese, meeting her new sibling.

Why is Laura Rutledge not on SEC Nation? ›

“A little update: I'm not great at slowing down but this week my body has forced me to. Unfortunately too sick to make it to SEC Nation but the show is in great hands with @MartySmithESPN. Reese is also sick so she's taking a break from her picks. Hoping to be back soon,” Rutledge tweeted.

Who is the girl on NFL Live today? ›

Host & Reporter, ESPN/SEC Network

Laura Rutledge is the host of ESPN's year-round weekday NFL news and information show NFL Live and SEC Network's SEC Nation. Since joining the company in 2014 as a reporter on SEC Network and ESPN, Rutledge has consistently expanded her portfolio.

Is Josh Rutledge still playing baseball? ›

Joshua Alan Rutledge (born April 21, 1989) is an American former professional baseball infielder.

Who is the top paid employee at ESPN? ›

Top “Monday Night Football” analyst Troy Aikman zoomed past him last year with a five-year, $90 million contract that pays him $18 million a year. So did MNF play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, who scored a five-year, $75 million deal worth $15 million a year. You could argue the NFL is its own category for ESPN.

How much does Erin Andrews make at ESPN? ›

Her salary is roughly $2 million per year. Andrews' salary, however, is just a part of her income. She also has a myriad of endorsements that contribute.

What is Charles Payne salary at Fox News? ›

Charles Payne works for the Fox Business Network, on which he hosts the program "Making Money with Charles Payne." Before this, he was an analyst at EF Hutton on Wall Street, and founded the stock market research firm Wall Street Strategies. Charles Payne's annual salary at Fox Business is $4 million.

Was Laura Rutledge ever Miss America? ›

And I won first runner-up, $1,000." She continued on in pageant to win the local titles of Miss Suncoast and Miss Pinellas County and was later crowned Miss Florida 2012. Her talent was ballet and she acquired a place in the Top 16 at the Miss America 2013 pageant (only her fourth pageant ever!).

Where did Reese Witherspoon go to highschool? ›

She attended middle school at Harding Academy and graduated from the all-girls' Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, during which time she was a cheerleader. She later attended Stanford University as an English literature major, but left prior to completing her studies to pursue an acting career.

Who is the female on SEC Nation? ›

Laura Rutledge. Reporter and Host for SEC Network and ESPN.

What is Laura Rutledge doing now? ›

Laura Rutledge. Reporter and Host for SEC Network and ESPN.

Who is Josh Rutledge married to? ›

In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network.

Who is the female sideline reporter on the SEC Network? ›

Alyssa Lang is a host, anchor and reporter for SEC Network, joining the team in the summer of 2018. Lang is the co-host of Out of Pocket and serves as a sideline reporter for SEC Network college football, basketball, baseball and softball.

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