Taylor Rooks recently joined Bleacher Report & Turner Sports, where she hosts her own interview-driven show, Take It There with Taylor Rooks. The show, which debuted in April 2019 on Bleacher Report, captures the news and conversations from the world of sports culture. The new program is Bleacher Report’s first ever show built around an individual talent and showcases Rooks’ unique ability to connect with athletes, musicians, and other celebrity influencers on a deeper level. Rooks has interviewed an all-star lineup of athletes in her inaugural season, including Jimmy Butler, Saquon Barkley, and DeMar DeRozan. Rooks also appears regularly on other Turner Sports properties, such as TNT and NBA TV.
Prior to Bleacher Report, Rooks served as the reporter and anchor for SportsNet New York (SNY), and hosted her own podcast, TimeOut with Taylor Rooks, where she interviewed guests from Kevin Durant to Snoop Dogg. Before that, Rooks worked as a host, reporter, and correspondent for the Big Ten Network and worked as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network.
A native of Georgia, Rooks attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in broadcast journalism and reported on football and basketball recruiting for scout.com. She made national news with her stories and knowledge of basketball—specifically in recruiting. Rooks broke multiple stories regarding Cliff Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Quentin Snider, Aaron Jordan, Charles Matthews and Jayson Tatum.
In a past article from the New York Post, Rooks spoke about her drive to differentiate herself from her peers in college, often skipping class to report on basketball games. Throughout school, she interned with the PGA Tour, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and Fox Sports. At just 19 years old, Rooks appeared on CBS Sports Network, reporting on the WBB Pre-NIT Championship.
Rooks comes from a family of athletes. Her father is former football player Thomas Rooks, while her uncle is legendary MLB Hall of Famer, Lou Brock. Taylor is also the niece of former Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints NFL player, Marv Woodson.
