Former NFL reporter Dianna Russini got out of a ticket for texting and driving by letting the traffic cop FaceTime with the coach of his favorite football team, according to a new report.
The anecdote, which Russini shared on a podcast earlier this year, resurfaced in a New York Times article exploring her access to NFL insiders after she resigned from her $800,000-a-year job at The Athletic in April. Her resignation came after tabloid photos were published showing her holding hands and hugging head coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel at a luxury Arizona resort.
Both Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 50, who are married to other people, have denied a romantic relationship. The Athletic, which is owned by the New York Times, has launched an internal investigation into her reporting, which led her to resign from her position. The findings of that investigation are still pending.
Questions of how Russini used her access as a journalist were also highlighted by the February episode of the sports show, Stugotz and Company. She told the story of how she was pulled over for texting behind the wheel, and attempted to get out of the ticket by telling the cop that Sean McDermott, coach of the Buffalo Bills, had been fired — and that she was trying to break the news.
The officer told Russini he was a fan of a different, unnamed team. She then asked him: “Do you want to talk to the coach? You should talk to the coach,” before FaceTiming the NFL coach.
The coach, whom she did not name, helped her get out of the ticket, telling the police officer, “You should let her go, she’s a good citizen,” Russini recalled. It prompted the podcast host to respond: “I wish I had that kind of access.”
Vrabel was not the coach that Russini called for help getting out of the ticket, a source told The Times.
A spokesperson for the Times Company said that the story Vrabel told on the podcast was “unacceptable conduct.” Russini had not received approval to appear on the podcast, which is required by the publication.
Vrabel declined to comment to The Times for story, which published Tuesday. Russini told the Times in a text message that she faced “intense scrutiny and personal attacks” after the photos were released and that it had a “significant impact” on her life. After she had sent the message, Russini then asked the Times reporter not to quote from the text message. The Times declined and published the message because no off-the-record agreement had been made.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she held various roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platform.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots. He led the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to Seattle.
Russini’s access to NFL insiders has come under greater scrutiny as other images emerged linking her to Vrabel.
A photo from March 2020 appeared to show them kissing in a New York City bar. A video from June 2021 also appeared to show Vrabel and Russini, who was pregnant with her first child at the time, walking on a dock together before boarding a private boat in Tennessee.
At the time The New York Post published photos of Russini and Vrabel at the Arizona hotel in March, the reporter was about to renew her contract with The Athletic. Her employer, initially stood behind her, saying the images lacked “essential context” and that they were investigating.
However, before the probe came to a conclusion, Russini resigned, saying in a statement that she stood by her journalism but had “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
In April, Vrabel opened up on the controversy surrounding the photos of him and Russini and said that he has had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff, team officials and players.
“Those (conversations) have been positive and productive. In order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me,” Vrabel said.
He also skipped part of the NFL draft to attend counseling. During a Patriots press conference last month, Vrabel gave another personal update, telling reporters: “My family is great. I love Jen, I love the boys.”
