Podcast Summary: Bubba On the Lake – Episode #32 with Lauren Sisler

Host: Bill “Bubba” Bussey
Guest: Lauren Sisler (ESPN reporter, author, former gymnast)
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Bubba On the Lake" features a lively, heartfelt conversation between Bill "Bubba" Bussey and ESPN reporter Lauren Sisler. Bubba and Lauren discuss her career as a sideline reporter, her viral "sideline shimmy" dances, balancing a high-profile sports media career with family life, and the deeply personal story behind her memoir, Shatterproof. The episode also touches on dealing with shame, overcoming adversity, and finding joy both on and off the field.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Lauren’s Life on the Road & ESPN Career

• Travel tales: Lauren discusses the constant travel required by her job—recent trips included stops in Minnesota and Colorado, returning to Alabama, and prepping for games across the country.
  • "When I come back to Alabama, I’m always like, okay, when's it gonna be fall? And then I get back here and it's just like 90 degrees!" (05:36)
• Becoming an ESPN sideline reporter: Her journey began in local TV in West Virginia before moving to Birmingham in 2011, ultimately landing her first ESPN college football assignment in 2016.
  • "I hoped for this, dreamed of this... When I look at our rundown and our sheet every week... I’m one of like 30 reporters on the sidelines for ESPN every week. One of 30 in the entire country." (13:21, 14:54)
• Finding balance: Lauren now values both her career and family life, especially as a mom.
  • "There’s also this thing called life...I have a two year old at home...and you know, it changes you quite a bit." (16:32)
• Perspective on “moving up”: She reflects on the difference between ambition and contentment.
  • "I can be content where I'm at and soak this in... The word content, I think it gets confused sometimes with complacency." (17:55)

The Famous “Sideline Shimmy”

• How it started: The “shimmy” is a way to handle pre-game nerves and became her signature, even catching the attention of coaches.
  • "I dance on the sidelines...there's no rhyme or reason... it's just a total freestyle... I was born in the 80s, lived in the 90s, so anytime a good old school 90s hip hop comes on, I'm just like, give it to me, baby." (07:28)
  • "It came because of the nerves… I use the shimmy to kind of redistribute things, like all the anxious energy." (08:57)
• What happens on the sideline: Lauren explains the challenges and risks (like almost being tackled), and how the bustling energy adds to the fun.
  • "As a sideline reporter, I need to get behind the bench... sometimes I've almost gotten tackled." (11:10)

Behind the Scenes of Sideline Reporting

• Weekly prep: Game assignments drop Sundays or Thursdays. Her job includes research, calls with coaches (Wednesdays/Fridays), and connecting with players.
  • "My prep starts...[Sunday] I come home...flip the switch right back on...I’m covering a new team pretty much every week.” (20:01)
• Challenges of the transfer portal era: Keeping track of rosters is more complex as players switch teams often.
  • "Life is a lot different now when the quarterback was just at three other teams the last three years." (21:30)
• Homework doesn't end with school:
  • “The people that tell you in life like, 'Wait till you graduate from college, you don’t have to do homework anymore.' Yeah, right.” (23:24)

Shatterproof – Lauren’s Story of Loss and Resilience

• The tragedy: As a freshman gymnast at Rutgers, Lauren lost both parents to fentanyl overdoses five hours apart.
  • "There was a point in my life where I was so ashamed to tell my own story... My parents died of fentanyl overdoses... they battled this thing in silence." (26:17, 28:22)
• The burden of shame and the power of storytelling: Lauren’s mission is to fight the stigma of addiction by sharing her family’s struggles openly.
  • "They're not defined by how they died, but by how they lived their lives. My Auntie Linda...helped me lean into that." (29:00)
  • “Shame can be the very thing that kills people...when we can pull that shame out into the light, it allows people to find themselves, know their story matters.” (33:40)
• Writing and sharing Shatterproof: The book is a vehicle for both healing and helping others in similar situations.
  • "Here is my story. But I also want to meet you where you’re at in your story and help you to fall in love with your story." (30:34)

Addressing the Opioid Crisis

• Caution with pain medication: Both Lauren and Bubba discuss lingering fears around painkillers, relating personal experiences and the importance of education.
  • "It's in my mind, I'm like, gosh, I don't want to take this stuff. You know, I don't want to get addicted to this because you know how easy it is." – Bubba (31:32)
  • “Pain is real... Pain has to be managed...but education is huge.” – Lauren (32:12)
• Special note for young athletes: The temptation to push through and take risks is strong, but consequences linger.
  • "When we’re 18...your mind is like, 'who cares? I’ll be fine.' But when you’re now 40, 50, 60 years old, there’s no such thing as I’ll be fine." (33:27)

Rapid Fire: Fun and Personal Moments

• DJ Sizzler: Lauren’s past as a DJ helped pay her way and brought her closer to her husband, John.
  • “DJ Sizzler, Wiki Wiki. I was a dj...I DJ’d at Corned Beef and Company where I met my then now future husband, John. You know, I won him over with my ability to spin a record." (36:09)
• Southern life and identity: Lauren reflects on falling in love with Alabama and the South, despite her Virginia roots.
  • "Alabama is like...that hidden gem that people don't know about. And I call it a true treasure. Man, I love it here." (39:19)
• Family fun: Bubba invites Lauren and John for a pontoon interview on the lake.
  • "You haven't done an interview till you do one on the pontoon boat. That's a whole nother deal." (19:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The “Shimmy” and Joy in Reporting:
  • “Hash tag, sideline, shimmy. Well, you know, you gotta bring the joy. Honestly, it came because of the nerves...” – Lauren (08:57)
• On Being Grateful and Present:
  • "I'm one of like 30 reporters on the sidelines for ESPN every week. One of 30 in the entire country. And I think, man, what a blessing and how cool that is.” – Lauren (14:54)
• Facing Tragedy; On Writing Shatterproof:
  • "There was a point in my life where I was so ashamed to tell my own story...I carried this story with me, and it came with this shame. Well, my parents carried that same shame...addiction, what society tells us about addiction.” – Lauren (28:22)
• On Breaking the Shame Cycle:
  • "That shame can be the very thing that kills people, takes them down, puts them in a corner...when we can pull that shame out into the light, it allows people to find themselves, know their story matters." – Lauren (33:40)
• On Life in Alabama:
  • “You just said y’all, so you qualify.” – Bubba (40:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & weather banter: 00:22–06:25
• Lauren talks travel, sideline life, dancing: 07:04–09:56
• Sideline dangers & behind-the-scenes: 09:56–12:38
• Landing the ESPN job: 12:38–15:42
• Ambition vs. contentment (career & family): 16:16–18:59
• Weekly schedule, research, and challenges: 19:39–23:40
• Lauren’s family tragedy and book: 26:17–31:32
• Opioids and pain management discussion: 31:32–34:39
• How to connect with Lauren & book details: 34:39–36:00
• DJ Sizzler and meeting her husband: 36:00–39:09
• Falling in love with Alabama: 39:09–41:19
• Closing tributes and invites: 41:19–41:42

How to Connect with Lauren Sisler

• Website and contact: laurensisler.com
• Social: @LaurenSisler on most platforms
• Book: Shatterproof — now available in paperback, hardcover, and audio (narrated by Lauren herself)

Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, energetic, and candid, blending humor and hope as Bubba and Lauren share stories about sports, family life, overcoming loss, and spreading joy—even in the hardest moments. Lauren's authentic vulnerability and Bubba’s down-home, affable presence make the discussion engaging and relatable.

Final Thoughts

This episode is both uplifting and sobering—a celebration of resilience, family, and finding happiness in the present, all while dealing honestly with life’s hardest setbacks. Lauren Sisler is not just a great sideline reporter, but a powerful advocate for shattering the stigma around addiction, all while never losing her sense of fun (and a killer shimmy).

“You are just such a positive life force. I mean, you just light the room up. I know people listening to this are just fired up listening to you, and we appreciate you taking time…”
– Bubba (41:05)