Todd McShay announced Tuesday that he will be taking a leave of absence from his job at ESPN to focus on his health.
McShay, 44, announced that he would be temporarily stepping away from his duties as a college football reporter after fans expressed their concern over his appearance during the Alabama-Miami game last Saturday.
“I am going to take some time away to focus on my health and my family,” McShay wrote in a tweet published Tuesday. “Thank you ESPN for being so supportive and for all the well wishes – I can’t wait to be back on the sidelines soon.”
ESPN issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “Todd has ESPN’s full support as he steps away at this time to focus on his health and his family.”
McShay contracted COVID-19 in May 2020. Last November, he had to leave partway through a Northwestern vs. Wisconsin game. Broadcaster Sean McDonough explained that McShay left the game because he was ill. McShay returned to his duties the following week.
McShay, along with Mel Kiper Jr., anchors the network’s coverage of the NFL draft. McShay missed covering the 2020 draft when he was hospitalized with the virus.