New York Times sports journalist Deanna Russini is known for her long career covering the NFL.
Russini made headlines after Page Six exclusively obtained photos of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on March 28 at the Ambiente Sedona Hotel in Arizona.
Vrabel told Page Six that the photos were “totally innocent interactions” and that Russini “does not represent a group of six people hanging out during the day.”
The Athletic’s editor-in-chief, Stephen Ginsburg, added that the photo was “misleading.”
The journalist, who has a long professional history as an NFL coach, once said the key to success is being “relentless” in pursuing your goals.
“When I think back to when I really took steps, I think I was always uncomfortable,” she said in an interview earlier this year, adding, “I just kept going.”
“I didn’t let anyone stop me,” she declared.
Below, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about Russini, her high-profile career, and personal background.
she works at athletics
Russini is employed by The Athletic, a New York Times company, as a senior NFL insider.
The former player joined Athletic in August 2023 after leaving ESPN. She contributes to the media’s video and audio projects and leads breaking news coverage.
According to NBC Sports, she is one of the site’s highest-paid writers, likely earning more than NYT veterans Maggie Haberman and David Brooks.
“It wasn’t a situation where ESPN didn’t want me. I love ESPN. ESPN has given me a lot of opportunities and the people I’ve worked with have been great. It was a really difficult decision for me and my family, but in the end I was able to realize that I wasn’t going to change my role at ESPN,” she said at the time.
“Based on my conversations with the company, there was no promotion for me. They had no vision other than what I’m doing right now. Through my conversations with all the reps, Athletic has given me endless roles and ideas. They want information. They want storytellers. They want people with personality.”
She added, “Once I realized that they were handing me a blank piece of paper that just said, ‘Be who you want to be,’ I realized this could change my life. The Athletic has shown they value me more than ESPN, for sure.”
previous workplace
He previously worked for ESPN as an NFL insider and reporter for eight years. During her time with the iconic sports network, she appeared on “SportsCenter,” “NFL Live,” “Sunday NFL Countdown” and “Get Up.”
At ESPN, he covered the league as a senior reporter, specializing in breaking sports news and conducting high-profile interviews.
At the beginning of his journalism career, Russini was the youngest reporter hired by WNBC in New York City. She moved to Seattle and became a sports anchor and reporter for Comcast Sportsnet Northwest (CSN Northwest).
In addition to News 12 Westchester, Russini also worked at NBC affiliate WVIT in Connecticut and WRC-TV in Washington, DC.
Her NFL Podcast
In addition to his extensive coverage at The Athletic, Russini co-hosts the Spotify podcast “Scoop City: Inside the NFL” with insider James Palmer and former quarterback Chase Daniel.
According to the official synopsis, the podcast provides “unparalleled access and expert analysis” about the league and offers “deep-dive behind-the-scenes scoops on the NFL’s biggest stories.”
The podcast, which debuted in July 2024, drops new episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and promises to be “the information every fan needs.”
She is married to Kevin Goldschmidt
Russini married Kevin Goldschmidt on September 26, 2020, in an intimate ceremony amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Sun, the pair began dating in 2015 and kept their relationship hidden from the public eye until they got engaged in 2020.
Goldschmidt, a Penn State University graduate, is Shake Shack’s vice president of total compensation and HR technology, according to the outlet.
On their second anniversary, she posted a throwback photo from their wedding, writing, “Two years later today was the best day of my life. When I married Kev in front of my family and dozens of friends over Zoom!”
She added, “For me, you’ll be the only one forever.”
she is a mother of two
The journalist is the mother of two sons with Mr. Goldschmidt. The couple welcomed Michael Andrew in August 2021 and Joseph “Joey” Kevin in October 2022.
After the birth of her second child, she said in an Instagram post that she felt “beyond lucky and blessed.”
“I want to feel young again. The kids wore me out,” she joked on “The Dan Patrick Show” in February.
“I’ve aged 15 years in four years.” She also joked that having two young sons, one year apart, was like “having twins.”
she is from new jersey
Russini was born in the Bronx and raised in Norwood, New Jersey by supportive parents Camille and Rick Russini.
She is known for hilariously channeling “Jersey Mother” Camille while answering NFL questions on ESPN.
Russini made fun of herself on “The Dan Le Batard Show” in her mother’s voice, joking, “As for my daughter, one day she’ll be on GMA, and then I’ll think she’s a success story.”
What is her past sports experience?
The reporter was an All-State representative in basketball, softball, soccer, and track at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, New Jersey.
In a 2017 interview with USA Today High School Sports, she admitted that although she was also good at soccer, “soccer wasn’t my best sport in high school; track and field was my best.”
She played soccer for four seasons at George Mason University in Virginia.
She said in an interview that the biggest lesson in competitive sports is, “You lose sometimes. You lose sometimes in life. Sometimes you win. Don’t be a victim of the moment.”
