ESPN Brings Eli Apple's Mom Aboard 'Sunday NFL Countdown' for 2016 Season

It's a good time to be a member of the Apple family.

Last month, the New York Giants selected former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Eli Apple with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. During all of the draft hoopla, the 20-year-old's mother, Annie, became a huge hit around the football world.

Annie defended Eli when a scout questioned his cooking skills. She wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated and revealed that she told her son not to wear a Rolex to the draft because he was "an unemployed college dropout." She went on ESPN's His & Hers to say what a great decision the Giants made in drafting her son.

Now, Annie will be joining ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown as a contributor this fall.

ESPN MediaZone's Bill Hofheimer announced the news Monday, with Seth Markman—senior coordinating producer for ESPN's NFL studio shows—citing Mama Apple's willingness to say what's on her mind as the reason behind the move: 

"

Annie caught our attention during the NFL Draft and when we met with her in-person at ESPN we were blown away by her relatability, her sense of humor and just how unafraid she is to speak her mind. Annie brings a very unique perspective as the mother of a current NFL player and as a fan, and we look forward to exploring a variety of different story ideas with her on Sunday NFL Countdown.

"

Speaking of that sense of humor, Annie confirmed the news on Twitter:

The show does a great job of featuring numerous perspectives, from former coaches to ex-players and now mothers of players. There's really not an angle it doesn't have covered, which is one reason many fans tune in to it over other pregame shows.

If Annie's draft-related fun is any indication, Sunday NFL Countdown just made a great hire.