Taylor Rooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylor Rooks
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Rooks in 2025
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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 | since 2012 |
| Spouse(s) |
Shane Fowler
(m. 2025) |
Taylor Rooks, born on May 22, 1992, is a well-known American sports journalist and TV host. She works for Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, Bleacher Report, and TNT Sports. Before these roles, she worked at SportsNet New York (SNY) and the Big Ten Network. She has also reported from major sports events, like the Big Ten Football Championship.
Early Life and Education
Growing Up and School
Taylor went to Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia. She graduated from high school in 2010.
College Years and Early Reporting
She chose to study broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This was a path her parents also followed. While in college, she reported on important football and basketball recruiting news for Scout.com.
At just 19, she reported for CBS Sports Network during the Women's Basketball Pre-NIT Championship. She gained experience by interning with the PGA Tour, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and Fox Sports/Scout.com. Taylor earned many scholarships and helped encourage more women to join sports broadcasting. She briefly modeled but soon focused entirely on sports journalism.
A Family of Athletes
Taylor comes from a family of talented athletes. Her father, Thomas Rooks, is a famous football player for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He is second on their all-time rushing list. Her great-uncle is Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer for the St. Louis Cardinals. Her uncle, Marv Woodson, played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.
Taylor Rooks' Career in Sports Media
Starting Out in Sports Reporting
From 2012 to 2014, Taylor worked for Scout.com. She reported on Illinois football and basketball. She often shared big news about new player recruits. Some of these players included Jayson Tatum.
Joining Big Ten Network
In August 2014, soon after college, Taylor joined the Big Ten Network. She became a host and reporter there. She appeared on "BTN Live" with other hosts and sports experts. Taylor also talked with fans and shared their social media comments on air. She regularly reported on many Big Ten games. She also hosted the "Women's Sports Report," covering women's sports in the Big Ten.
Moving to SNY and CBS Sports
In August 2016, Taylor became a host and reporter for SportsNet New York. She also worked as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network. This was during the 2016–2017 college football season.
Working with Bleacher Report and TNT
In June 2018, Taylor moved to Bleacher Report. She covered big events like the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game. She also hosted live shows for NBA on TNT.
On Thursday Night Football and NBA on Prime Video
Before the 2022 NFL season, Amazon Prime Video hired Taylor. She contributes to their pregame, halftime, and postgame shows for Thursday Night Football. In 2023, she also started sideline reporting for TNT Sports. She covered college basketball and then NBA games during the 2024–25 season.
Taylor also works as a broadcaster for the fun Puppy Bowl event.
For the 2025–26 season, Taylor leads the studio coverage for NBA on Prime Video. She works alongside famous players like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Steve Nash, and Udonis Haslem. She also continues her work on Thursday Night Football.
Personal Life
Taylor likes to keep her personal life private. She has mentioned that reports about her dating life online are often not true.
On July 19, 2025, Taylor married her fiancé Shane Fowler. They had a private wedding ceremony in New York City.
