Nowadays, a sports media company is only as big as the personalities it employs. While Bleacher Report built an empire on breaking news, making lists and posting highlights, for years one thing it was missing was on-air talent. Despite already posting top-notch content, it’s undeniable that some segments would benefit from having a person in front of the camera. Well, Bleacher Report recognized that it could improve in this area and made a big move. In 2018 the company went out and hired Taylor Rooks. While you may recognize Rooks from various interviews, there’s probably plenty of things you don’t know about her. With that being said, let’s get to know more about the career and personal life of Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks.
Early life, college and start in sports media
Rooks was raised in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. Both of her parents attended the University of Illinois where her father was a star running back. Her parents raved about their college experience so much, that Rooks wanted to attend Illinois as well.
Rooks’ love for sports led her to major in broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois. While many people don’t get serious about their careers until after they graduate, Rooks got to work as fast as she could. She started her own blog called The Online Sideline which drew the attention of the people over at Scout.com.
While in college, Rooks worked for Scout covering Fighting Illini football and basketball. She loved reporting on sports so much that she would sometimes miss class in order to cover a story.
During her time at Illinois, Rooks also interned with The PGA Tour and Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
Taylor Rooks’ hot start in sports media: Big Ten Network and SNY
Almost immediately after graduating in 2014, Rooks landed a job with the Big Ten Network. While there, she worked as an on-air host for BTN Live. After two years, she left the Big Ten Network for a job with SNY.
During her time at SNY, Rooks’ career took a big jump. She hosted her own show called Time Out With Taylor Rooks where she had one-on-one conversations with some of the biggest names in sports and media. Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Meek Mill were among the most famous guests to appear on the show.
Despite not being as big of a star as D-Wade or Jimmy Buckets, the Michael Beasley episode of Timeout With Taylor Rooks might be the most memorable one. Beasley came on the show and shared his thoughts on people using only 10% of their brains. Rooks didn’t agree with Beasley’s logic, but the segment drew a lot of laughs from viewers and went viral on social media. If you haven’t seen it, or forget what Beasley said, take a look at the clip below. It’s worth a watch.
It didn’t take long for Rooks to get noticed. After about two years with SNY, she left for a job at Bleacher Report.
What Taylor Rooks does at Bleacher Report
Rooks’ move to Bleacher Report was not only huge for her career, but substantial for Bleacher Report as well. It was B/R’s first attempt at a show with an interviewer/interviewee format and they needed to make a big splash.
Take It There with Taylor Rooks has been a hit so far. She has proved time and time again that she has a knack for creating viral moments. Not only does she have great guests on, but she seems to ask the perfect questions as well. Even Kevin Durant, who can be tough to interview at times, opened up about his off-the-court life.
While she keeps it relatively light, Rooks isn’t afraid to ask the pressing questions either. In an interview with Jonathan Isaac she asked him why he didn’t kneel during the National Anthem and why he wouldn’t wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. Isaac told Rooks that he did believe in the Black Lives Matter movement, but that he doesn’t think “kneeling or wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt don’t go hand-in-hand with supporting black lives.”
In addition to her work in the Bleacher Report studios, Rooks also spent a notable amount of time interviewing players inside the NBA Bubble in Orlando.
Taylor Rooks’ Instagram
These days if you want to make it in entertainment, it’s important to have a strong social media presence. At the moment Rooks has 402,000 Instagram followers and receives a ton of engagement on her page.
A quick scroll through her profile shows pictures and videos from her job and outtakes from her personal life as well. If you had to sum Rooks up solely based on what she posts on Instagram you would say that she loves the NBA and her dog, Bean. Here’s a preview of her IG feed.
Taylor Rooks love life: Does she have a husband?
One thing we know is that Rooks is not married.
Because she keeps her personal life relatively private, it’s tough to tell whether she is single or not. There aren’t any signs of a romantic partner on her social media accounts and a quick google search didn’t tell us much either. It’s totally possible that Rooks could be single considering how busy her schedule is.
Taylor Rooks and Jesse Williams:
Back in 2018, Rooks was spotted with Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams. The two dated for a short time and kept a pretty low profile, so there’s not too much info about the relationship out there. Right now, Williams is dating a woman named Taylour Paige.
Taylor Rooks current age and what’s next?
At the age of 29, the world is Rooks’ oyster. She’s already had a ton of success in the sports media world and only continues to get more famous. At this rate Rooks is on pace to be one of the biggest personalities in the industry.
Although she may not need it, we wish Rooks the best of luck in her career and whatever her future may hold. If you haven’t done so already, definitely check out her show on YouTube or on Bleacher Report.
The post Taylor Rooks: In Photos, Get To Know The Rising Star Journalist appeared first on The Spun.
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