Ep. 53: ESPN’s Dianna Russini

Pass It Down

While discussing disgruntled Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a recent appearance on ESPN’s morning show, Russini managed to cast her husband in a glaringly mediocre light, leading his friends to tell him, “Yo--your wife just trucked you on TV.” After amusingly recounting that episode, Russini tells us about her childhood, from her early journalistic aspirations (and her father’s fatefully situated job as a plumber) to her prolific and ultra-aggressive feats on the athletic field. As she and Natalie swap stories of on-the-field transgressions, Dianna relates her journey from overmatched Division 1 soccer player to starter and co-captain--including the red card she received on Parents’ Day--and tells why she preferred the throat to the crotch when it came to handing out punishment. We also learn about her father’s harrowing escape from the World Trade Center during 9/11, what provoked her tirade on the Jets’ practice field and why she questioned an NFL head coach who told her not to stay out late at the Combine.