Taylor Rooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylor Rooks
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Rooks in 2022
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| Born | May 22, 1992 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Education | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Taylor Rooks (born May 22, 1992) is an American sports journalist and broadcaster. She is known for her work on television. Currently, she appears on Thursday Night Football, Bleacher Report, and Turner Sports. Before joining Turner, she worked for SportsNet New York. She also worked for the Big Ten Network. There, she appeared on shows like BTN Live. She was also a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network.
Early life and family
Taylor Rooks went to Peachtree Ridge High School. This school is in Suwanee, Georgia. She graduated from high school in 2010.
She decided to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her parents also went to this university. Taylor studied broadcast journalism there. While in college, she reported on football and basketball. She found and shared national recruiting stories for Scout.com. At just 19 years old, she reported for CBS Sports Network. This was for the WBB Pre-NIT Championship. She also interned with the PGA Tour and Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Taylor received many scholarships. She helped more women get interested in broadcasting.
Taylor comes from a family of athletes. Her father, Thomas Rooks, was a top rushing leader. He played for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Her great-uncle is Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer for the St. Louis Cardinals. Her uncle, Marv Woodson, played in the NFL. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints. Her brother, Ryan Rooks, was a swimmer and cheerleader. He graduated from the University of Georgia.
Career
From August 2012 to May 2014, Taylor worked for Scout.com. She covered Illinois football and basketball. She became well-known for her stories. She shared new information about player recruiting. She broke stories about players like Cliff Alexander and Jayson Tatum.
In August 2014, she joined the Big Ten Network. This was just two months after college. She became an on-air host and reporter. She appeared nightly on "BTN Live." She worked with hosts like Dave Revsine. Taylor also talked with fans. She brought their social media comments onto the screen. She often reported on Big Ten Games. She also hosted the "Women's Sports Report." She covered all women's sports in the Big Ten.
In August 2016, Taylor became a host and anchor for SportsNet New York. She also worked as a sideline reporter. This was for CBS Sports Network. She covered college football during the 2016-2017 season.
Taylor was hired by Prime Video in 2022. She joined their pregame show for Thursday Night Football. In 2023, she also started reporting for TNT Sports. She reported for some college basketball games. Later, she added NBA games during the 2024-25 season.
Starting in the 2025-26 season, Taylor will lead Prime Video's NBA studio coverage. She will work with NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki. She will also work with former #1 overall pick Blake Griffin. Taylor will continue to appear on Thursday Night Football.
