Trey Wingo may no longer work at ESPN, but he cannot be kept from the NFL Draft.
As reported by the New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand, Wingo will host Fox Sports’ coverage of the NFL’s 85th annual player selection meeting. That won’t be on television, of course, since that territory belongs to ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network. So Wingo will host a “watch party” for Fox Sports’ digital and social media platforms during Thursday’s first round.
Wingo will host a more interactive and shared experience on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app, in addition to the network’s YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages. Fans will be able to ask questions by tweeting @FoxSports with the hashtag #DraftParty or leaving comments on the YouTube and Facebook live streams.
Among the analysts joining Wingo for the Fox Sports NFL Draft watch party will be Jordan Palmer, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Geoff Schwartz, and RJ Young. Wingo will also talk to former No. 1 NFL Draft selections Eli Manning and Michael Vick during the network’s coverage.
Wingo had hosted ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage since 2017, succeeding Chris Berman in that role after he stepped back from his duties at the network.
The veteran anchor and host left ESPN last November, ending a tenure of more than 20 years with the network. After his ESPN Radio morning show with Mike Golic ended in July, network executives couldn’t find an on-air role for him and decided to let him go shortly before his contract expired.
At the time, the Post’s Marchand reported that Wingo was hoping to land with NFL Network, which seemed like a natural fit considering his experience hosting NFL Live and ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage. But the interest apparently wasn’t mutual.
Wingo instead launched a podcast network built around his show, Half-Forgotten History, with interviews based on conversations behind the scenes and at events with which he’s been involved during his broadcasting career. The podcast is now in its third season. He has also returned to golf, calling the Farmers Insurance Open for PGA Tour Live in January.
“There is a whole other world out there,” Wingo told Awful Announcing’s Michael Grant earlier this year. “I am enjoying that part of it. I never thought this would happen, but it has been really fun and enjoyable.”
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.