Inside the lively CBS Broadcast Center in New York, Nate Burleson faces an unusual opponent a grinning stuffed squirrel. With a slap of a giant red button, fluorescent-green slime cascades down onto Burleson, drenching him in cold, sticky liquid. Instead of frowning, he claps and laughs. It’s just another episode of Nickelodeon’s NFL Slimetime wrapped, another day in his vibrant post-football career.
Burleson, once a skilled wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions, never clinched a Super Bowl ring. Yet today, at 43, he shines as a coanchor of CBS Mornings, an analyst on The NFL Today, the host of the new Hollywood Squares, and a fan-favorite cohost of NFL Slimetime a show where he’s been slimed over twenty times and proudly welcomes more.
“Bring it by the boatload!” Burleson jokes, fresh off two hours of live morning television.
Transitioning from professional sports often mirrors returning from a thrilling voyage to the moon exhilarating but disorienting. Many athletes face a void, struggling to replace the adrenaline of game day. For Burleson, who retired in 2014, the absence of a Super Bowl win deepened the sense of unfinished business. He recalls asking himself, “How are you dealing with this?”
Searching for Purpose Beyond the Field
After retirement, Burleson explored various ventures he opened a restaurant in Seattle and launched fashion lines. But a year later, he found himself alone, drinking and nostalgically watching old highlight reels. “Look at those moves. Damn, that guy was good,” he would say to himself, marinating in bittersweet pride.
In a particularly vulnerable moment, he texted a former NFL coach offering to return to the field. The response was polite but firm: “Nah, we’re good. But hope everything’s good with you and the family.” That humbling rejection spurred a realization trophies and glory weren’t confined to the football field. Success could be found elsewhere.
From Gridiron to Morning News
With a renewed mindset, Burleson set out to “win some other trophies.” Coming from a family steeped in sports his father played professional football and one of his brothers made it to the NBA Burleson had always pursued the arts as a way to carve his own path. As a child, he dreamt of becoming a poet traveling across Europe, and even won the prestigious Paul Robeson Award in fifth grade, inspired by the athlete-turned-artist who blazed a trail long before him.
Starting with the NFL Network, Burleson found his footing in media, before making the leap to Paramount, home to CBS and Nickelodeon. True to Robeson’s legacy, he stepped far outside his comfort zone. In 2021, he joined CBS Mornings alongside heavyweights Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil. Covering politics at first proved daunting, but Burleson attacked the challenge with the same ferocity he once reserved for breaking tackles.
“There are people that don’t want you to be in that seat. Treat it like football. They can’t argue with the results,”
advised Michael Strahan, another former athlete turned media powerhouse. Burleson took those words to heart. Within months, he was reporting serious news stories, moderating interviews with top political figures even sitting down with President Obama for an exclusive conversation.
The Weight of the Spotlight
“Working in media is harder than the NFL,” Burleson confesses. “It’s more exhausting to the spirit.” But the payoff has been undeniable. He has morphed from an ex-athlete searching for relevance into a full-fledged television personality whose days might begin with hard news, roll into Nickelodeon’s family-friendly antics, and close with hosting one of America’s most iconic game shows.
Most recently, Burleson stepped into the bright lights of the Hollywood Squares reboot, cementing his ability to move fluidly across genres news, entertainment, sports, and even children’s programming. It’s a feat that few, if any, have managed before.
Finding a New Voice
Burleson’s versatility has made him a household name but to him, the biggest compliment is simple:
“The biggest compliment is when someone says, ‘You know what? I didn’t even know you played football.'”
For a man once known for his agility on the field, it is now his dexterity in front of the camera that earns him accolades. And not just figuratively Burleson has picked up four Emmy Awards, solidifying his place among the most respected names in television. Trophies, indeed.
Yet even with all the professional success, family remains Burleson’s grounding force. He and his wife, Atoya, have raised three children, setting an example of resilience, creativity, and reinvention. His upbringing infused with athletics, ambition, and a deep appreciation for culture gave him the tools to thrive in multiple worlds.
In a beautiful full-circle moment, Burleson hasn’t abandoned his early dreams of artistic expression. These days, he’s reciting his own poetry not in faraway cafés but on national television, during live broadcasts of CBS Mornings.
Winning Beyond the Field
Nate Burleson was a solid, dynamic wide receiver who fought hard every Sunday. But today, he’s something even greater a trailblazer redefining what life after professional sports can look like. Whether dodging slime on NFL Slimetime, discussing policy with world leaders, or brightening up the mornings of millions of Americans, Burleson has proven that success is not confined to one arena.
As he strides confidently down the bustling streets of New York City in tailored suits and trademark charisma, it’s clear that Nate Burleson isn’t just living post-football he’s thriving. He’s winning the biggest game of all: life itself.
