National Football League

FOX Football Daily set for launch

Published Aug. 12, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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FOX Sports today unveiled a star-studded lineup headlining FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, the new, year-round weekday football show and FOX NFL KICKOFF, a one-hour Sunday morning pregame program, both carried by FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network launching this Saturday. The announcement was made by FOX Sports Executive Producer John Entz and Bill Richards, the executive producer of both shows.

Joining FOX Sports’ already stellar roster of football experts to provide commentary of FOX FOOTBALL DAILY and FOX NFL KICKOFF are four former NFL standouts fresh off the field and some of the biggest names to ever play the game: five-time Pro Bowl defensive back and Tampa Bay Buccaneers great, Ronde Barber; former New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion linebacker and defensive captain, Scott Fujita (@sfujita55); NFL record-holding wide receiver Randy Moss (@RandyMoss); and recently-retired Chicago Bears linebacker and eight-time Pro Bowler Brian Urlacher (@BUrlacher54).

“Great players step off the playing field every year, but I’m confident in saying that no network has ever been able to add four former players of this caliber at one time as FOX Sports 1 has,” said Entz. “Add the names Urlacher, Moss, Barber and Fujita to Bradshaw, Long, Johnson, Strahan, Aikman, Lynch and our many other top-flight football analysts and it’s easy to see our quality and depth.”

Hosted by Curt Menefee (@CurtMenefee), and featuring premier NFL insider Jay Glazer (@jayglazer), unparalleled rules analyst Mike Pereira (@MikePereira), FOX FOOTBALL DAILY covers the NFL and college football in a live, fast-paced show combining up-to-the-minute news, highlights, features and analysis presented in FOX NFL SUNDAY's signature “info-tainment” style. Adding his college football expertise is former All-Big 12 quarterback at the University of Colorado, Joel Klatt (@JoelKlatt). FOX FOOTBALL DAILY premieres Monday, Aug. 19, and the hour-long show can be seen throughout the year on weeknights at 6:00 PM ET. FOX NFL KICKOFF premieres Sunday, Sept. 8, and airs from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ET every Sunday morning during the NFL season.

In addition to the newcomers, joining show regulars Menefee, Glazer, Pereira and Klatt throughout the year to contribute analysis are FOX NFL SUNDAY stars Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson (@JimmyJohnson) and Michael Strahan (@MichaelStrahan), as well as NFL on FOX lead game analyst Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) and fellow game analyst John Lynch. These 10 former NFL superstars have been selected to 52 Pro Bowls, have won 12 Super Bowl titles and have 122 seasons of combined on-field experience. Besides Klatt, college coverage is bolstered by contributions from FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL lead analyst Charles Davis, lead play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, studio and game analyst Petros Papadakis and FOX COLLEGE SATURDAY host Erin Andrews.

In addition to appearing on FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, Klatt, Urlacher, Moss and Barber are regulars on FOX NFL KICKOFF, a one-hour Sunday morning pregame show, also on FOX Sports 1. Glazer and Pereira also join the show, which offers an early take on the day’s games and stories around the league and provides a behind-the-scenes look at FOX NFL SUNDAY. NFL on FOX coverage begins Sundays with FOX NFL KICKOFF on FOX Sports 1 before shifting to FOX NFL SUNDAY, the nation’s most-watched NFL pregame show, on the FOX broadcast network. FOX NFL KICKOFF premieres Sunday, Sept. 8 on FOX Sports 1, with a special NFL Week 1-only 10:30-11:30 AM ET time slot to accommodate the special 90-minute edition of FOX NFL SUNDAY. Beginning Sunday, Sept. 15 FOX NFL KICKOFF airs from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ET each week.

"We are tremendously excited to be able to present FOX FOOTBALL DAILY to NFL and college football fans this coming season and to have this extremely talented group of hosts and analysts launch one of FOX Sports 1's signature programs," said Richards. "The most unique aspect of the show is all of our analysts will be commenting on both pro and college topics and viewers can expect the same mix of news, analysis, information and entertainment that has made FOX NFL SUNDAY America's most popular pregame show the last 20 years."

One of the greatest players in franchise history, Urlacher, 35, played 13 seasons for the Bears and is widely considered one of the most dominant and well-regarded linebackers of the recent era. So much so, he was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 2000s. The future Hall of Famer quickly made a name for himself as a professional; grabbing honors as the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Later, Urlacher established league-wide recognition by capturing Football Digest’s 2001 Defensive Player of the Year and the 2005 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

One of the most talented and controversial players in NFL history, Moss played 14 seasons, most recently with the San Francisco 49ers. A wide receiver, Moss is the NFL’s single-season records holder in touchdown receptions (23) and touchdown receptions for a rookie (17). He finished the 2012 season with 156 touchdown receptions in his career, which currently ranks second on the all-time list. He played in six Pro Bowls in his illustrious career and was named the NFC Player of the Year in 2003 and the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press and PFWA in 1998. He has also been active in several charitable initiatives throughout his career, working primarily with children’s groups.

Considered by many as a future Hall of Famer, the 38-year-old Barber spent 16 years with the Buccaneers as one of the NFL’s preeminent defensive playmakers. Winning a Super Bowl in 2003, Barber is the only player in NFL history to combine for more than 40 (47) interceptions and 20 (28) sacks, while ranking fourth all time in the NFL with 14 non-offensive touchdowns. Away from the field, Barber, along with his well-known twin brother and former New York Giants running back, Tiki, wrote three children’s books entitled By My Brother’s Side, Game Day and Teammates.

Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002, Fujita played for four teams throughout his 11-year career (Chiefs, Cowboys, Saints & Browns). He was defensive captain of the Saints defense during the 2007 season and in 2009 and helped lead the franchise to its first-ever world championship in Super Bowl XLIV. After a stint with the Browns, he retired last April 2013 after signing a one day contract with the Saints. He has served on the NFLPA Executive Committee as a Vice President since 2010 and sits on the board of Directors for Team Gleason, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of patients living with ALS.

Along with Entz and Richards, Azzie MacKenzie serves as coordinating producer for FOX FOOTBALL DAILY. MacKenzie joined FOX Sports 1 after spending 15 years with ESPN, where he most recently produced the 11 PM ET edition of SportsCenter, NFL Live and NBA Live. His work on Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter has earned him three Sports Emmy Awards.