Kyle Brandt recalls bombing FS1 audition by playing a character

When it comes to Kyle Brandt, a significant part of his appeal stems from his authenticity. He’s not the type to give a hot take for the sake of going viral. Whether he’s comparing the Dallas Cowboys to food containers or going to bat for overlooked teams like the Tennessee Titans, if the NFL Network star says something, it’s because he means it.

That, however, hasn’t always been the case.

At least it wasn’t on one day in particular in 2016, as Brandt auditioned to be part of Jason Whitlock’s show at FS1 amid the cable channel’s hiring spree. As he recalled on the latest episode of Kevin Clark’s This is Football, the former Real World star took the stage playing an on-screen character hardly reminiscent of his actual personality.

“We would do dummy segments as part of an audition and you would just go and talk, whatever. And I went in there loaded for bear because I thought they were looking for bold and brash and just all kinds of crazy hot takes, which they were,” he said. “It’s the only time in my life on camera, off camera, over there, that really really in my career, I have not been myself — I’d been playing a character.”

As Brandt remembers it, there was one specific unnamed quarterback he took aim at with his analysis during the audition. And he did so in a fashion that resulted in the show’s producers requesting that he tone down his language.”

“I, like, completely destroyed this quarterback saying things that I don’t even believe, that aren’t even justifiable,” he said. “I kept using this really, like, vulgar sexually charged word in an audition and they’re like, ‘stop, stop. You can’t use profanity.’ And I was like, “it’s an audition. Who cares? I’m trying to make an impression here.’

“And I just went off on him. And it’s a guy who didn’t deserve it and was just an easy target. And I remember leaving the audition, which of course I wasn’t hired for, just feeling really grimy and feeling like low class and like I had crossed the line into something I didn’t want to be. And I always regret that. And that tape is out there somewhere and maybe it’ll surface. But I just felt gross at the time.”

As fascinating as the audition tape would be to see, Brandt’s description certainly makes it sound cringe-inducing. By the same token, his ability to discuss the audition in the context of the lessons he learned from the experience only speaks to the success that he’s found playing a much more authentic version of himself on Good Morning Football, which also happened to launch in 2016.

To steal a phrase from Bill Simmons, the entire situation ultimately served as a sliding doors moment — what is Brandt had gotten the gig and spent the ensuing years playing a vulgar hot take artist opposite Jason Whitlock? Perhaps he would have always opted for authenticity eventually. But it also seems like a safe bet he also wouldn’t currently be in a position to be celebrating ESPN’s impending takeover of his current employer.