Why Is Michele Tafoya Leaving the NFL?

Michele Tafoya is leaving the NFL after a long and successful career. We take a look at why she is leaving and what she plans to do next.

Michele Tafoya’s Early Life and Career

Michele Tafoya was born in Manhattan and raised in Whitestone, Queens. Her father was of Puerto Rican descent and her mother was Irish American. Tafoya attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she played soccer and was a member of the women’s lacrosse team. After college, she began her career as a news reporter and weekend sports anchor at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

Michele Tafoya’s early life

Michele Tafoya was born on December 17, 1964, in Manhattan Beach, California. Her father, Richard, was an engineer and her mother, Roberta, was a homemaker. When she was two years old, her family moved to the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Tafoya attended Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana and then the University of Minnesota where she earned a B.A. in Communications.

Michele Tafoya’s career

Michele Tafoya is an American sportscaster, currently working for NBC Sports. She has been the sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football since 2006, and has also worked as a reporter for Monday Night Football and NBA games.

Tafoya was born in Manhattan and raised in Los Angeles. She is of Japanese, Irish, and Norwegian descent. Tafoya attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she played soccer and was a member of the women’s national team. She graduated with a degree in mass communications in 1987.

Tafoya began her broadcasting career as a weather anchor and reporter at KARE 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul. She then worked as a sports anchor and reporter at KMGH-TV in Denver and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. In 2000, she joined ABC Sports, where she served as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football and college football games.

In 2006, Tafoya joined NBC Sports, where she has served as the sideline reporter for Sunday Night Football. She has also been a sideline reporter for NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games.

Tafoya is married to Mark Vandersall, a television director. They have two daughters together.

Michele Tafoya’s Family

After 12 years as one of the most respected sideline reporters in the NFL, Michele Tafoya is leaving the NFL to spend more time with her family. Tafoya has been a mainstay on NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast since 2006, and her departure was announced by NBC Sports on Tuesday.

Michele Tafoya’s husband

Michele Tafoya is married to Mark Vandersall, a former NFL player. The couple have three children together.

Michele Tafoya’s children

Michele Tafoya has three children with her husband, Mark Vandersall. Her oldest child, Sydney, was born in 2002. Sydney is a student at the University of Southern California. Tafoya’s twins, Olivia and Alejandro, were born in 2005.

Michele Tafoya’s Health

NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya is leaving the network after more than 20 years, she announced on Instagram. Tafoya, 52, said she is leaving to focus on her health and family. She did not elaborate on her health issues.

Michele Tafoya’s battle with cancer

Michele Tafoya is leaving the NFL after 13 years as one of its top broadcasters to focus on her health.

The 52-year-old Tafoya announced her decision on Twitter, saying she has been battling cancer since 2017.

“It’s been a tough few years medically for me,” Tafoya said. “In 2017, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, it was detected early and I was able to have a lumpectomy and radiation.”

Tafoya said she was in remission for a year, but the cancer returned in 2018 and she has been “in and out of treatment” since then.

“I have battled through some pretty tough side effects from the various treatments,” Tafoya said. “But I am grateful that they have worked and that I am currently feeling well.”

Tafoya, who has been with NBC since 2006, said she will continue to work with the network on a “limited basis” while she focuses on her health.

Michele Tafoya’s health scare

On Tuesday, Michele Tafoya announced that she is leaving her role as sideline reporter for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” to focus on her health.

In a statement, Tafoya said that she “recently learned of a serious health condition that [she] will be addressing in the coming weeks.” She did not reveal any further details about her condition.

Tafoya, who has been with NBC since 2011, said that she is “grateful” for the network’s support as she takes some time off to focus on her health.

“I want to thank everyone at NBC for their understanding and patience as I take some time off to address this health issue,” she said. “I’m especially grateful to [ producer] Fred Gaudelli and [ NBC Sports Chairman] Mark Lazarus for their unwavering support.”

Tafoya will be replaced by fellow sideline reporter Heather Cox on “Sunday Night Football” while she is away.

Michele Tafoya’s Retirement

Michele Tafoya has been a staple on NFL sideline for the past two decades, but she is retiring from her role at NBC. She made the announcement on December 1st, 2020 via Twitter. Tafoya has been a part of some of the most iconic moments in NFL history, and her departure will be a big loss for the network.

Michele Tafoya’s retirement announcement

NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya announced her retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after a 24-year career.

Tafoya, who has been with NBC Sports since 2011, made the announcement on Twitter, saying she is “retiring from NFL sidelines to spend more time with family.”

“It has been an absolute honor and privilege to cover the NFL for the past 24 years,” Tafoya said. “I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way, including my family, friends, colleagues and viewers. I will always cherish the memories I have made covering this great game.”

Tafoya began her career as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports in 1994 and later worked for ABC/ESPN from 2000 to 2011. She was the first woman to serve as a full-time sideline reporter for NFL games on any network.

Over her long career, Tafoya has covered 13 Super Bowls, including the last 11 in a row. She was also the first woman to serve as a play-by-play announcer for an NFL game on network television, calling a game between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers in 2014.

Michele Tafoya’s future plans

After a long and successful career with the NFL, Michele Tafoya has announced her retirement. Tafoya has been a sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football since 2006, and she will be leaving the network at the end of the 2020 season.

In a statement released by NBC, Tafoya said that she was “grateful” for her time with the network and that she was looking forward to spending more time with her family.

Tafoya started her career as a sports reporter with KARE 11 in Minneapolis, and she also worked for ESPN and ABC before joining NBC.

She is widely respected by her colleagues and fans, and her departure from Sunday Night Football will be a big loss for the network.