Becoming an ESPN College Football Analyst with Eric Mac Lain

Kirk Herbstreit knew Eric Mac Lain would make a great college football analyst one day. Marty Smith thought so too.

The funny part?

Eric didn't.

As far as he was concerned, there was only one plan. Play in the NFL. After football, maybe become an athletic director.

Broadcasting was never part of the equation, but that didn’t stop everyone else from seeing it.

Eric Mac Lain played at Clemson from 2011-15, where the Tigers captured two conference championships and made a national championship appearance. During his career he obtained the most wins (46) by a single player in Clemson history at the time. 

While Eric was starring on Clemson's offensive line, he also became one of the most recognizable faces and voices of the program. Quarterback Deshaun Watson preferred to stay out of the spotlight whenever possible, so when ESPN, local media, or national reporters came to campus looking for interviews, Eric was often the one sitting in front of the microphone.

For an offensive lineman, that wasn’t exactly normal, but rather than shy away, Eric embraced it.

Part of that came from the culture Dabo Swinney built at Clemson. From the day players arrived on campus, they were reminded that every interaction mattered. Treat everyone the same, whether they're the CEO of a company, the person answering the phones, or the janitor cleaning the building. Represent Clemson well. Represent yourself well. You never know who's watching.

Eric took that seriously. In Clemson terms, he was “All In.”

He built a strong relationship with Clemson's Sports Information Director, Tim Bourret, and treated every interview as another opportunity to represent the program. 

Years later, he'd realize those conversations were quietly shaping his career after football.

After Clemson's loss to Alabama in the 2016 National Championship, Eric turned his attention to the NFL. He didn’t hear his name called in the draft, but earned a rookie minicamp invite with the Carolina Panthers. It went as well as it could have gone, and he believed he had a legitimate chance to make the roster.

Then came the news every player fighting for a roster spot hopes never arrives.

The Panthers were moving in a different direction.

As he walked out of the Panthers facility, he called his wife, then his parents, and then his agent.

Heartbreaking, but instead of waiting for another opportunity, he made a decision that surprised even the coaches releasing him. He chose to move on.

His final call was back to Clemson.

Eric had started a master's degree while he was playing and asked if there was any way he could come back, finish school, and find a role within the athletic department.

Before he got off the phone he had his answer: "Be here Monday."

Clemson created a graduate assistant position that allowed Eric to finish his degree while working in student-athlete development. Yet another reminder of the power of the relationships he'd built over the previous five years.

After completing his masters, Clemson Athletic Director at the time, Dan Radakovich encouraged Eric to take a look at a company called JMI Sports, which had recently become heavily involved with Clemson Athletics.

Encouraged by Dan’s recommendation, Eric accepted an Account Executive role and joined a lean team focused on selling sponsorships for his alma mater, along with a slew of other “duties as assigned.” If you work in sports, you understand.

Many people complain about these “other duties,” but for Eric, they changed everything.

See, JMI owned the rights to Clemson's radio broadcasts, and Eric believed the postgame show had some room for improvement. Instead of a quick scoreboard recap, why not build a show that fans would actually want to listen to while sitting in traffic after the game?

So he put together a pitch.

He mapped out a ninety-minute show featuring player interviews, coach interviews, analysis, and conversations around college football. A show he knew people would actually want to listen to.

The team agreed, and the show was approved to move forward, but then came the question that Eric hadn't figured out yet:

"Who's going to host it?"

The room looked at him.

"You are."

Just like that, Eric found himself behind a microphone again, running the show on gameday weekends while continuing his day job with JMI.

A football analyst is responsible for educating, entertaining, and informing fans by providing insight into the game. Their job goes beyond simply describing what happened. They explain why it happened by breaking down strategy, player performance, coaching decisions, game plans, and the storylines shaping a team or season.

Analysts work across many different formats. Some are part of live game broadcasts, providing color commentary alongside a play-by-play announcer. Others work in studio shows, podcasts, radio, or digital media, offering analysis before and after games. While many analysts are former players or coaches who draw on firsthand experience, that isn't the only path. Others build careers through journalism, scouting, analytics, film study, or years of covering the sport. Regardless of their background, the best analysts combine deep football knowledge with strong communication skills, helping audiences see the game through a more informed lens.

As Clemson continued to dominate on the football field, his visibility continued to grow. Reporters from around the country were calling to ask about Clemson. As a former captain who was now hosting Clemson's postgame show, he had become an easy person for media members to reach to get a players perspective. 

He took the calls from the folks he knew, but wasn’t as responsive to those he didn’t.

One person, however, was unusually persistent.

He texted Eric asking if they could meet while Clemson was in California for the 2019 National Championship.

Eric said he was busy.

The next day he reached out again.

Still busy.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, Eric was blowing him off.

Then, on the morning of the National Championship, another message came through. “Can we meet before the game?”

This time Eric agreed, but he was skeptical. He couldn't find much information about the guy online, so he decided to test him.

"I'll meet you on the 50-yard line."

If the guy could get onto the field before the National Championship, he was probably legitimate.

A few minutes later, there he was.

The conversation wasn’t what he was expecting, because the man wasn’t looking for an interview. He actually didn’t want anything from Eric at all. Rather, he was there to share an opportunity.

"We're launching the ACC Network."

"We'd like to fly you to Bristol."

"We think you'd be a great fit."

Eric never saw it coming.

He hadn't applied. He wasn't even looking for a broadcasting job. 

A few weeks later he walked through ESPN's headquarters for the first time. The place he'd grown up watching every morning on his TV suddenly became the place he might work.

He interviewed and auditioned, and before he knew it ESPN was hiring him as one of the first analysts for the new ACC Network.

Eric is now entering his eighth football season with ESPN. He's covered some of the biggest games in college football, hosts the Gramlich & Mac Lain podcast, and has become one of the most recognizable voices covering the ACC.

Looking back, it's tempting to say his broadcasting career started the day ESPN called… but it didn't.

It started many years earlier when he chose to represent Clemson well every time someone handed him a microphone.

He thought he was preparing for one career, and without realizing it he built another.

Q. Many athletes spend most of their lives identifying as a player. What advice would you give to athletes who are trying to navigate the transition from competing on the field to building a career in the sports industry?

A. I always remind athletes that I speak with that the sport we play is not who we are, simply what we do at a certain time. Because we are much more than just a game. Once an athlete moves on from sport, it's time to fully embrace and pursue that. The best part about this transition however, is that everything that made you successful on the field, court, track etc... are exactly the things that will make you successful off of it. Hard work. Resiliency. Leadership. Laser focus.

Q. Long before personal branding became a buzzword, you had built a reputation through your personality, communication skills, and presence in front of a camera. How important has personal brand been in your career, and what can current athletes do to start building theirs today?

A. Your brand is everything. It's how people will decide if they want to give you opportunities, work with you, or even be around you. Always understand that you control your brand and you can develop it to be what you want. BUT you can't fake it, at least not forever. Decide who you want to be and do it. Pursue things that strengthen who you are and what you believe and don't waste time with things that aren't you and don't help you or others around you. 

Q. For someone who dreams of becoming a sports analyst or broadcaster, what skills, habits, or experiences would you recommend they focus on developing right now to separate themselves from the competition?

A. One of the best (or worst, depending on your stance) things about society today, is that we all can have a voice. If you want to be in the sports media business, grab a microphone and get to work. REPS matter. Interview your family, have recorded conversations with friends. Practice speaking and get comfortable doing so on camera. You also have to love this, and protect your dream... Everyone wants to do this job. How far are you willing to go, how long are you willing to protect your dream to accomplish it! But at the end of the day, work harder than everyone else. Show up early, leave late. Work the weekends, holidays, when others are tired. Show them that you're in it for the long haul.

1. Build your reputation before you need it
Eric didn't know his media appearances at Clemson were serving as an audition for a future career. The way he represented himself, treated others, and communicated consistently built trust long before ESPN ever called.

2. Relationships are career accelerators
From Coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson's athletic department to the executives who brought him to ESPN, the relationships Eric invested in opened doors at every stage of his career. Great careers are rarely built alone.

3. Say yes before you feel ready
Eric had never hosted a radio show when he volunteered to build Clemson's postgame program. He had never worked in television before flying to Bristol to audition for ESPN. Growth rarely comes after you feel ready. It usually comes because you said yes anyway.

Unlike many careers in sports, there isn't a long list of entry-level broadcasting jobs waiting for recent graduates.

The good news? You don't need one to start building experience.

Start a podcast with a friend. Cover your college team. Break down games on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. Volunteer to call games for your school's club teams. Offer to help a local high school with broadcasts or digital content. Find opportunities to get comfortable on camera and behind a microphone.

That's exactly what Eric did, even if he didn't realize it at the time.

Every interview at Clemson. Every radio appearance. Every postgame show he helped build at JMI became another rep. By the time ESPN came calling, he wasn't trying to convince anyone he could do the job. He had already been doing it.

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of So You Want to Work in Sports. I appreciate you being part of this community.

If you have ideas, feedback, or future guest suggestions, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

If you want more hands-on support as you navigate the start of your career within sports, book a 1:1 session with me here. The sooner you start preparing, the more confident you will feel when opportunities come your way.

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