4 hours ago
1
Pam Oliver troubled fans when she slurred her words during an interview over the weekend - and she has previously been open about a significant health struggle she faces.
The well-respected Fox Sports sideline reporter was talking to Aaron Rodgers following the Steelers' win over the Vikings in Ireland when fans took note of her slow speech.
And while Oliver has not addressed the incident, she previously revealed that she's suffered from migraines for a 'very, very long time.'
'It's caused me to miss a few games over the span of my career because I just couldn't take the noise and the light and the sickness that comes with that. The nausea and the vomiting,' she told The Athletic's Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast in 2021.
She explained that she was forced to pull out of an assignment in Atlanta several years ago due to her health issues.
'I was minutes from Mercedez-Benz [Stadium]. My driver, I said, you gotta pull over. We were less than five minutes from the stadium. I'm hurling. My head is pounding.
Pam Oliver sparked concern from fans due to her interview with Aaron Rodgers
Oliver has previously opened up about her struggles with migraines over the years
'And I made the decision right then and there, I'm no good to anyone. There's no way that I felt like I was gonna get through that game, be productive, help the crew, contribute in any way. So, turned around and I went home. I felt so guilty about that for the longest time, but they really do knock me out of action.'
Oliver explained in that interview that the issue had improved, though she was still experiencing about three migraines per month.
'They definitely are real. And they continue to plague me. And not to have people feel sorry for me, but that's just the way it is. That's just part of my health issue.'
Oliver's migraine issues were exacerbated in 2013, when she was hit in the head by a ball following an errant throw during pregame warmups.
That ordeal actually resulted in a concussion, and required her to stay in a lightless room for five days, per the LA Times.
Following her interview with Rodgers on Sunday, fans had a wide range of reactions to the startling moment.
Oliver's migraine issues were exacerbated in 2013 when she was struck by a ball from an errant throw during warmups
'Get well soon Pam Oliver,' one wrote on X.
'Anyone talking s*** has never had a migraine I see and hear [people] calling regular headaches a migraine,' another said. 'A migraine will kick anyone’s a** and knock you in the dirt you can’t drive talk or see or read.
'... Pam always does such a wonderful job you would never know,' a third added of her health issues. 'Always great when she’s on the game.'
Oliver, 64, joined Fox as a sideline reporter in 1995 and has since established herself as a familiar and respected face to NFL fans.
She was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame earlier in September.
