Edina's Jenny Taft: From 'FSN Girl' to a big role at Fox Sports 1

From her parents' home in Edina earlier this week, Jenny Taft had perspective. She's grateful to be able to see family and friends over the next few days. She's reflective about a career arc that keeps rising upward.

But most of all, like a lot of you, she's excited for some football.

Taft, whose broadcast career was launched in large part as a "Fox Sports North Girl" a decade ago, has steadily risen to prominence with Fox Sports 1.

She moderates the channel's debate show, "Undisputed." And she will work as the sideline reporter for Thursday's game at Huntington Bank Stadium between the Gophers and Iowa State before heading to Wisconsin for Badgers vs. Penn State on Saturday.

After working on sidelines in empty stadiums last season in the midst of the COVID pandemic, before vaccines were available, Taft is more than ready to be in the midst of thousands of fans.

"I think the biggest thing just overall as a college football community is just this sigh of relief that we're heading into the season with so much more optimism and excitement," Taft said on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast. "(Last year) for these athletes was mentally such a roller-coaster. I think the Gophers are kind of the perfect example of that."

If you don't see the podcast player, tap here to listen.

Indeed, the Gophers finished 3-4 last season as COVID interrupted and generally wreaked havoc on their season. College players she has talked to recently said their excitement level for this year is "100" on a scale of 1-10.

"It really doesn't get any better than this," Taft said.

The same could be said of her career evolution. Taft said her work as a Fox Sports North Girl — a concept that was considered sexist and demeaning by some and was eliminated in 2015 — allowed her to get the on-camera repetitions she needed to improve. It led to a role with FS1, where her work covering Motocross led to bigger and better things.

"That was all Fox Sports North believing in me," Taft said.

And it allowed her to arrive at a place where, just a few weeks ago, she chided Bayless for comments he made about Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy's weight — a viral moment in which Taft scored a lot of points with viewers.

"I don't exactly know why he reacted the way he did. We didn't really talk about it. I wouldn't change how I said something and I would do it again in the same way, and I'm not afraid to share that," Taft said. "It was just, for whatever reason I think there's a sensitivity with his Cowboys, that he takes personally, but I didn't like what he said. ... It's a debate show, and I didn't do anything wrong. It's the reaction that was so surprising."