How Damien Woody Is Building His Second Act After 15 Years With ESPN
· Yahoo Sports
The NFL season is officially underway. It’s a league where networks and content hubs lean on the drama of the week-to-week sport, with flocks of football fans seeking out analysis to navigate the emotions of following their favorite teams through the weekly grind. This year brings some differences, especially with the coverage on ESPN. After a round of layoffs earlier this summer, many, including Damien Woody, were searching for where they could provide their expertise during the upcoming NFL season.
Woody, who spent 15 years with ESPN, was on an island. The network decided to part ways with him after not extending his contract in July. When news broke about his departure from ESPN, he received a call from former ESPN anchor and host Trey Wingo. That call changed Woody’s outlook on the upcoming NFL season.
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“Once it was known that I was not coming back to ESPN, Trey [Wingo] reached out about getting the band back together,” says Woody regarding the creation of The OG Football Show.
Woody’s departure from ESPN marked a notable change. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion who played 12 seasons at the highest level of the NFL. Following his playing career, he became a mainstay on the network’s NFL programming. Including shows like NFL Live, Get Up, SportsCenter and other network studio programs.
A New Twist On An Old Staple
Now, Woody enters a new era as a co-host on The OG Football Show, which streams weekly on YouTube. He joins a trio of other former ESPN talent, with Wingo serving as host and Merrill Hoge and Mark Schlereth as co-hosts.
“Our chemistry is great. We know each other well. There’s a lane for this type of show,” explained Woody. “In an environment where there’s a lot of hot takes and loud voices, we feel there’s a lane for smart football with people who’ve been part of the game for decades. There’s an audience that wants that. So, here we are.”
The program itself leans on the nostalgia and foundation of what ESPN NFL programming was built on. Intelligent discussion, film study and expertise from those who played the game, positioned to educate rather than lean into hot-take culture. The show is an arm of The Wingo Network, which lives by the mantra of “No bits. No bulls**t. Just ball.”
“There are people that thirst for simpler times where we’re not talking about foolishness and stuff that didn’t matter. People want to talk, break down and learn the game of football,” said Woody. “If I can help teach and help fans become more knowledgeable about the game of football, then my job is done. That’s what we all envision about this OG Football Show.”
The project itself was something Woody couldn’t pursue while under contract with ESPN. Despite how the end of his run at ESPN was handled, he shared his appreciation for the experience he had with the network.
Leaving ESPN
Woody is more grateful than bitter, especially toward those who believed in his abilities from the start despite his continued work to overcome a serious speech impediment he’s had since childhood.
“I’m a guy that spent years going through speech therapy to get to where I’m at today,” says Woody. “To go from that to working on television for 15 years, I’m eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to continue and bring me to audiences across the country.”
Working in broadcasting is no different than being a player on an NFL roster. It takes staff, support and people who ultimately believe in the talent and provide the coaching necessary to achieve the highest level of performance possible. Woody credits the support of many people, including former ESPN executives Norby Williamson and David Roberts, as well as current network vice president Seth Markman.
He says a change in leadership at ESPN is likely what led to his departure. Woody noted that talks regarding his agreement didn’t begin until later this summer, when they usually start many months before a contract expires.
“In the climate that we’re in, anything can happen. We didn’t have contract negotiations in July. Usually, you have a three-month period before your contract expires where you start having those conversations. When those didn’t start, it made me [ponder] what exactly are they thinking right now. I can’t say I was surprised,” explained Woody.
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When he was informed that his agreement wasn’t going to be extended, ESPN left the decision to Woody regarding how he wanted to handle his departure.
“When they told me they weren’t renewing my contract, they asked me if I wanted to continue to work or stop altogether. I told them I wanted to finish out my contract. You finish what you start. They were elated and thrilled,” said Woody. “They know my character. I wasn’t going to be one of those guys that didn’t finish out of spite. There was no animosity or bad energy at all.”
Woody considers himself a competitor, even years removed from his playing career. While he has no complaints about his time with ESPN, he did hope to do more, especially with the network’s first Super Bowl broadcast scheduled for this coming February and the NFL Network now under ESPN’s oversight following the network’s acquisition earlier this year.
“I was excited about the merger [with NFL Network] and the Super Bowl coming later this year for ESPN. But at the same time, there’s new leadership coming aboard at ESPN with Burke Magnus and Mike Foss. When you have new leadership, obviously new leadership wants to do things their way,” said Woody. “Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t in the plans moving forward.”
Tackling New Projects
With his ESPN tenure in the rearview mirror, Woody hit the ground running. Outside of his role on The OG Football Show, Woody accepted an invitation from WFAN host Craig Carton to co-host a show ahead of the NFL season. Woody, who played for the New York Jets during the final three seasons of his NFL career, has been a friend of Carton’s for many years.
“I hadn’t done sports radio like that. It was fun,” said Woody. “Ryan Hurley [WFAN brand manager] provided me some cool feedback. I also did Boomer & Gio as well for one show as a fill-in. Those are good friends of mine. If an opportunity presented itself, then I’ll be sure to accept those opportunities.”
Woody noted that the experience over those two days at WFAN helped fuel the fire for another project he’s currently building. In addition to The OG Football Show, Woody plans to host a podcast called In the Trenches with Damien Woody outside The Wingo Network.
“I’m looking forward to building a platform where people can get to know me a little better. Talking ball and sharing in a conversational podcast where we have interesting people on,” said Woody. “For me, it’s about seeing content that they haven’t seen from me before. When you’re at ESPN, there’s a certain model that they do things. Now, independence allows me to broaden my reach with different things I can do. Hopefully, earning a new appreciation for what I can bring to the table.”
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For Woody, his next chapter isn’t about replacing what he had at ESPN. It’s about building something that belongs to him.
Fifteen years at one of the biggest sports media companies in the world gave him a platform, relationships and an opportunity to reach audiences he once could only imagine. Now, independence gives him the freedom to decide what comes next.
The OG Football Show provides a familiar cast and a familiar philosophy, while In the Trenches with Damien Woody offers an opportunity to expand his voice beyond the traditional television role. Both projects allow Woody to do what he has always done best: talk football, educate an audience and bring the perspective of someone who has lived the game at its highest level.
There may have been disappointment in how his ESPN chapter ended, but Woody isn’t dwelling on the past. He finished what he started, walked away with gratitude and immediately began building what comes next.
For a competitor like Woody, that may be the most important part of this new era. The game hasn’t changed. His platform has. And now, for the first time in his broadcasting career, he gets to help call the plays.
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