Pam Oliver has been patrolling NFL sidelines since the early 90s, originally for ESPN but eventually moving to Fox where she’s been since 1995. While chronic migraines and headaches have sometimes made it hard for her to do her job, she will be back on those sidelines for at least one more season.
Oliver confirmed to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch that she will be back on Fox next season, the final year of her current contract.
“I’m committed for another year,” Oliver told Deitsch. “Beyond that, it’s a process where you sit down and think about it. It’s a two-way street, of course. I’ve kind of been assured for as long as I want to do this job, I can, and they’ve been really good about figuring out where I am and what I’d like to do. I’m sure they’ve got plans of their own, but when you tell me that I can do this for as long as I want to, I expect that to be the case. But I know nothing is guaranteed. I’ll be 62 in March. I was thinking about Jalen Hurts the other day and how he could be my grandson basically (laughs). But that’s just where we are. I appreciate the longevity and I think about it. I think longevity is a beautiful thing.”
Oliver has been a part of some of Fox’s most notable broadcasting crews over the years, teaming with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen, and Joe Davis and Daryl Johnston.
Oliver has suffered from chronic migraines her whole life and the effects have sometimes been noticed by viewers during Fox broadcasts. That was the case in December when some viewers were alarmed by the way she slurred her words during a game, which can often be a side effect of intense migraines. For what it’s worth, while she still gets them, Oliver said that they happened less frequently this past season.
“I struggle still, but I did not get a migraine every game, so I felt I did get a bit of a break from that standpoint,” Oliver said. “It wasn’t like six days’ worth of migraines like before. It was down to two or three days, so I did feel better most weeks. But it was still pretty prevalent. I don’t think I’ll ever figure out why I get them. … It’s a part of my life, my health, and I just have to manage the best that I possibly can.”
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.