Taylor Rooks

Taylor Rooks, born on May 22, 1992, in St. Louis, Missouri, established her career in sports journalism through consistent reporting and interviewing. She attended Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, and later the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she pursued broadcast journalism. During her time at the university, Rooks gained early experience covering national football and basketball recruiting stories for Scout.com, demonstrating an initial aptitude for investigative sports reporting. Her family has a background in athletics, including her father, former Illinois Fighting Illini rushing leader Thomas Rooks, and her grandniece, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Lou Brock.

After graduating, Rooks quickly progressed in her career. From August 2012 to May 2014, she worked for Scout.com, developing a reputation for breaking recruiting news regarding players such as Cliff Alexander, Jalen Brunson, and Jayson Tatum. In August 2014, she joined the Big Ten Network, appearing on shows like “BTN Live” and “Women’s Sports Report,” where she covered various aspects of collegiate sports. Her role involved engaging with fans and reporting from games, further solidifying her presence in sports broadcasting. Transitioning to a wider audience, Rooks became a host, reporter, and anchor for SportsNet New York in August 2016, concurrently serving as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network during the 2016–2017 college football season. These positions provided a platform for her to cover diverse sporting events and develop her interviewing style.

In June 2018, Rooks joined Bleacher Report, where she gained recognition for her interview series “Take It There With Taylor Rooks,” becoming known for conducting impactful and viral discussions with athletes. She has since expanded her roles to include feature reporting for TNT Sports and has appeared at major events like the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game. In 2022, Amazon Prime Video hired Rooks to contribute to their “Thursday Night Football” pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. Starting with the 2025–26 season, she is slated to be the primary host for NBA on Prime Video’s studio coverage, alongside former NBA players Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin, while continuing her work on “Thursday Night Football.” She also serves as a broadcaster for the Puppy Bowl. Rooks’ career trajectory highlights her focus on authentic storytelling and her ability to connect with athletes.