The Super Bowl might be for sports fans, but Nickelodeon is prepared to give their audience a simulcast to bring in more viewers, and sportscaster Nate Burleson will be commentating live from the NFL Slimetime special! This isn’t the first time that the CBS Mornings co-host has run the kid-friendly sports show. He was the face for NFL Slimetime in 2022, and he even hosted the 2023 Kids’ Choice Awards with Charli D’Amelio. At all of Nate’s public events, his wife, Atoya Burleson, and their family came out to support the former NFL wide receiver.
Learn more about Nate’s wife and their family, below!
Who Is Nate Burleson?
Nate was once a a professional football player, having played with the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns throughout his athletic career. After retiring from the field in 2014, he became a sports commentator for the NFL and eventually Paramount (which was previously known as ViacomCBS).
After hosting the Nickelodeon NFL broadcast since 2022, Nate was given a co-hosting position on CBS Mornings.
How Long Have Nate and Atoya Been Together?
Nate and Atoya first met in college at the University of Nevada, Reno, where Nate played football for the Nevada Wold Pack. He and Atoya married in 2003.
What Does Atoya Burleson Do for a Living?
Like her husband, Atoya has been a member of the sports world for a while! According to her website, Atoya accepted an athletic scholarship at the University of Nevada for track and field. She was a hurdler and a sprinter throughout her undergraduate career. She continued her education at the same school after getting to know Nate, and Atoya obtained her master’s degree.
Currently, Atoya updates her personal website with tips on beauty, health and wellness and parenting.
In one of her website’s posts, Atoya recalled how she and Nate fell in love just before she was set to graduate and leave for Texas until she changed her mind to study for her master’s at the University of Nevada.
“Time after time again we would say ‘hi,’ exchange simple conversation, and then one day, it happened. He asked me if I wanted to go to the movies,” Atoya wrote. “I mean, it’s just a movie right y’all?! So, I said ‘yes,’ and the rest was history. We would sit, talk and laugh for hours. He was kind, affectionate and hilarious! I loved that about him. He could always make me laugh out loud before it ever had an abbreviation. We were just two kids having fun together and loving life, and I got to know him on a more personal note because he didn’t play football his first year in college. Instead, he got to see me compete in the hurdles, sprints and relays, and I loved having him there to support me.”
Do Nate and Atoya Have Children Together?
The pair share three kids together: daughter Mia and sons Nehemiah and Nathaniel Burleson II. Mia has accompanied her parents on a few public outings, including the 2022 NFL Slimetime and at the 2023 Annual Rookie Fashion show.
Since Nate’s broadcasting career has moved the family around, they now live in New York City together.