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June ended on a somber note for at least 20 on-air personalities at ESPN as they got laid off on Friday. The layoff was a part of cost-cutting measures embarked upon by the network.
The affected staff includes some of the network’s most popular analysts, commentators, and journalists. Among these are former football players who’ve made a switch to broadcasting.
Here’s a list of ex-football stars who were affected by the mass layoff:
Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson featured in the NFL for 12 seasons as a wide receiver for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccanneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. Before that, he played college football, first at West Los Angeles College and later at the University of Southern Carolina.
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Johnson’s journey with ESPN began in 2007 as part of the network’s NFL Draft team. He became an analyst for Sunday Night NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. Although he was briefly let go by the network in 2016, he returned to feature on SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, and other shows.
Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck had a long successful NFL career that lasted 18 seasons, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. He played college football with the Boston College Eagles as a quarterback from 1994 to 1997.
Hasselbeck joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in 2016. He was among the several members of staff laid off by the network on Friday.
Steve Young
Steve Young spent 15 seasons in the NFL playing quarterback for the Los Angeles Express, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers. He won the Super Bowl ring thrice and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the 1994 season.
Young has tried his hands at various things after he retired from pro football, including appearing in Hollywood movies and dedicating his time to philanthropy. He has been part of ESPN’s team of NFL analysts for years and appears on several of their shows, including "NFL Countdown."
Todd McShay
Todd McShay joined the University of Richmond Spiders football team as a walk-on serving as the scout-team quarterback. He later sustained a back injury that effectively ended his football playing career.
McShay was an intern with former NFL scout Gary Horton before working in the media. He joined “The War Room,” a new publication acquired by ESPN and renamed “Scouts Inc.” McShay joined the network in 2006, working as a football analyst and providing coverage for college football scouting.
What to expect after the layoff by ESPN
These layoffs will no doubt change the face of the network. Viewers have become used to a lot of the personalities being shown the exit, and it is uncertain how they might react to it. It is understandable, however, that layoffs are a part of everyday corporate running.
In fact, this isn’t the first time such layoffs have happened at ESPN, as there was a similar shake-off in April 2017. The affected individuals understand this aspect of the job and have probably been looking forward to it.
Be that as it may, fans can anticipate seeing their faces elsewhere in the sports broadcasting world as time goes on.
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