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 is an American sports journalist and broadcaster. She was born on May 22, 1992. She is known for her work on Thursday Night Football with Prime Video. She also works for Bleacher Report and TNT Sports. Before joining these networks, she was a host and reporter for SportsNet New York. She also worked for the Big Ten Network and CBS Sports Network.
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Early Life and Education
Taylor Rooks grew up in Suwanee, Georgia. She went to Peachtree Ridge High School and finished in 2010.
After high school, Rooks went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She studied broadcast journalism. While in college, she reported on national football and basketball recruiting stories. She worked with Scout.com during this time. At just 19 years old, she reported for CBS Sports Network. She also had internships with the PGA Tour and Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
A Family of Athletes
Taylor Rooks comes from a family with many athletes.
- Her father, Thomas Rooks, was a top football player for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
- Her great-uncle is Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.
- Her uncle, Marv Woodson, played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.
- Her brother, Ryan Rooks, was a swimmer and cheerleader at the University of Georgia.
Taylor Rooks' Career Journey
Taylor Rooks started her career in sports journalism in 2012.
Early Reporting Work
From 2012 to 2014, Rooks worked for Scout.com. She covered Illinois football and basketball. She became known for her stories about recruiting new players. She broke news about several top basketball players.
Joining the Big Ten Network
In August 2014, Rooks joined the Big Ten Network. She became an on-air host and reporter. She appeared on the show BTN Live every night. She worked with other sportscasters like Dave Revsine and Mike Hall. One of her jobs was to share fan comments from social media. She also reported on Big Ten games and traveled often. Rooks hosted the Women's Sports Report with Lisa Byington. This show covered all women's sports in the Big Ten.
Moving to New York and CBS
In August 2016, Rooks became a host and anchor for SportsNet New York. She also worked as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network. She covered college football games during the 2016–2017 season.
Work with Bleacher Report and TNT Sports
In June 2018, Rooks joined Bleacher Report. She reported from major events like the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game. She also appeared on many Turner Sports shows. Rooks hosted the live stream experience for the NBA on TNT.
Reporting for Thursday Night Football
Before the 2022 NFL season, Amazon Prime Video hired Rooks. She contributes to their pregame, halftime, and postgame shows for Thursday Night Football. In 2023, Rooks also started sideline reporting for TNT Sports. She covered select college basketball games. She then added NBA games during the 2024–25 season.
Rooks also works as a broadcaster for the Puppy Bowl.
Starting with the 2025–26 season, Rooks will lead the studio coverage for NBA on Prime Video. She will work with NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin. She will also continue her work on Thursday Night Football.
