ESPN extends contract of former UNC center Saturday

By R.L. Bynum

Former Carolina center Jeff Saturday has signed a contract extension with ESPN.

Saturday joined the all-sports conglomerate in 2013 after his six-time Pro Bowl career that included winning Super Bowl ILI with the Indianapolis Colts and making the NFL All-Decade team for 2000–09.

His most significant presence will again be each Monday on “NFL Rewind.” He will also appear frequently on “Get Up,” including his popular “Sat ’Em Down” segment, “SportsCenter,” “NFL Live” and other shows throughout the season.

Saturday also appears on the Tar Heel Sports Network pregame show before every Carolina football game. He will be co-analyst on the THSN along with Brian Simmons for the Georgia State and Notre Dame games.

His son Jeffrey is a redshirt junior wide receiver for Carolina.

Saturday played four seasons at UNC from 1994 to 1997 and was a two-year captain. He earned All-ACC first team center honors in 1996 and 1997 and made the ACC’s All-Academic team in 1997. The Atlanta native earned a business degree.

Saturday, who was inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor in 2015, is second in franchise victories only to Peyton Manning (141–132). Saturday and Manning started an NFL-record 172 games as a center-quarterback duo.

ESPN also extended the contracts of analysts Steve Young, Booger McFarlan and Alex Smith.