A Hall of Fame-caliber offensive tackle, Andrew Whitworth didn’t take long to get comfortable trading in his shoulder pads for a microphone. The former Cincinnati Bengal and Los Angeles Ram blindside protector has been a welcome mainstay on the Thursday Night Football studio panel for the last two seasons.
If you’ve ever enjoyed seeing Whitworth talk NFL football live, you’ll note how he usually dons some kind of hoodie with a blazer draped over the top. It’s a somewhat unconventional look that has, for some people, turned him into a professional football fashion icon.
And he didn’t even know this would happen.
In an interview with For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea at the 2024 Super Bowl Radio Row, Whitworth happily explained how his hoodie and blazer look came to be. Christian, of course, had to match him:
Andrew Whitworth inadvertently became an NFL fashion icon, so our @TrainIsland asked him about how his hoodie and blazer look came together pic.twitter.com/AknFeb5OV8
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) February 7, 2024
Whitworth was candid, clarifying that he didn’t know people would care about what we wore until he started regularly appearing on television in street clothes.
“I never knew people cared that much about what you were wearing,” Whitworth said. “I always laugh that on different social media platforms, you’ll get feedback. One person hates it, one person loves it, but the majority is love. But you never knew people cared that much about what you were wearing.”
As for how the hoodie and blazer look was born, Whitworth said he accidentally threw it together.
“It just kind of was a last-second decision [the hoodie and blazer]. I was gonna rock a hoodie the first time we went on air, and it’s been awesome. It’s kind of created some good energy, some good vibes when I walk in a place. People are proud.”
And yes, in case you were wondering, Whitworth really does have hundreds of different hoodies in his clothing arsenal to keep things fresh. (It’s still a lot, but probably not really!)
“For me, this is just my closet. Every week I get someone like, ‘Man, I wonder if Whitworth has 200 hoodies in his closet.’ Yes, I actually do have 200 hoodies in my closet. All different textures, styles, colors, you name it. I have a hoodie for everything.”
