Nate Burleson joined CBS alongside Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil in 2021.
He may be an on-air pro now, however, when he first started off, he was busy learning from the best.
The star exclusively spoke with HELLO! at the 40/40 Club red carpet at Fanatics Fest in New York, and he shared the unexpected three words of wisdom that Gayle told him before going on air.
Nate recalled: "The first time I was on the show, she saw me in the green room and she leaned into my ear and she said, 'don't [expletive] up.'"
© Getty ImagesHe continued: "She smiled, she laughed, but she also told me to be myself and show up as the version of the person that they brought into the studio. [She said] 'Don't try to adapt and be anyone other than who we hire.'"
The former NFL wide receiver also expressed what led him to become successful in his new role as a co-anchor.
Nate explained: "Well, one, I think just having some humility and understanding that the blessings that I have – they don't come for me. I humbly say that most of what people see on TV is divine intervention."
The TV star added: "The rest of it is just me working hard. I try to learn from other people's mistakes and that's why it's important to listen to your veterans in the locker room, your OGs and your mentors' real life, because typically they have been there, done that, and if you listen you them, you can avoid some of the roadblocks and obstacles that life will inevitably throw your way."
© Getty ImagesNate's career
Nate is originally from Canada, where his dad Al Burleson played in the Canadian Football League.
Nate went on to attend the University of Nevada, where he was a team player on the Wolf Pack before joining the Western Athletic Conference.
He firstly joined the NFL's Minnesota Vikings in 2003 during the third round of the NFL draft.
© Getty ImagesThree years later, he signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
During that time, Nate proudly represented his father's jersey number of 81 from his days playing in high school, as a way to pay tribute to his great impact in his life.
In 2010, he signed onto the Detroit Lions, before representing the Cleveland Browns in 2014 before retiring.
© Getty ImagesHe transitioned into the world of journalism after that, as he got his start as a sports analyst for the NFL Network that same year.
Two years later, the NFL Network launched the show Good Morning Football, and he became one of the co-anchors. In 2017, he was featured on The NFL Today, and he's since signed onto CBS Mornings.
