TAYLOR ROOKS
… ON TOP OF HER GAME
“… Just
because the
path that you
want isn’t
there, doesn’t
mean you
can’t follow
it… ’
Taylor Rooks is changing the face of sports entertainment. Rooks has staked her claim in the industry as a sports interviewer and reporter to the biggest names in sports media, including Bleacher Report and the Big Ten Network.
In a family of sports fans and a former high-school basketball player herself, it was only a matter of time before Rooks found a place for herself in athletics. While she was born in St. Louis and grew up in the Gwinnett County suburbs of Georgia, Rooks’ career flourished during her time at the University of Illinois. At UI, she was a sideline reporter and anchor for the Big Ten Network covering a diverse range of athletics.
Rooks cemented her name in sports with her own interview show, “Taylor Rooks X’ with Bleacher Report. On the series, Rooks has conversations with legends such as Kevin Durant, Snoop Dogg and more. Her keen interviewing skills and ability to connect with athletes on an individual basis set her apart.
Despite her hard work and talent, Rooks did not break into the industry unscathed. It’s no mystery that sports entertainment is a predominantly white space. As a Black reporter, Rooks endured additional challenges to achieve the success she now has. Rooks had a few words of advice for other Black youth with dreams of entering the industry, “Harness the life that you’ve lived and understand that it is something that will propel you in this space because it is something that makes you different. But also, that makes you really important too”.
Additionally, Rooks is a woman in an ultra-macho industry which comes with its own set of obstacles to navigate. Yet, she prevailed with some tips on how she weathered the pressure.
“I’m used to being around men. I’ve been around men my whole life and I’m not gonna let the behaviors of men change what I have to do or stop me from getting where I’m going. I enter each room with the expectation of being respected as a journalist and as a woman. I’ve also been fortunate to have solid and impactful male friends and allies in this space that I’m super thankful for”.
Diversity is what enriches an industry; including diversity in content produced by the network. Rooks caught on to the importance of diverse content early in her career and decided to make a pivot. “I’ve been able to carve out a lane that is based on long-form conversations. It’s based on knowing that when somebody sits down with me, they’re gonna say something that you haven’t heard. My path now is based on what I can encourage from people and not just based on the things that I say.”
In case you have yet to watch a Taylor Rooks interview, she has a way of making her guests feel comfortable enough to share their stories. It is a skill you don’t frequently see in sports reporting. When asked what advice she would give her younger self, she responded, “Just because the path that you want isn’t there, doesn’t mean you can’t follow it. I say that because I’ve always loved strictly interviewing above all else more than hosting, more than reporting, more than anchoring. Traditional journalism tells you you have to exclusively be those things but, I wanted to just be an interviewer. I think I’ve been able to carve out a lane that is based on long-form conversations”. With this new angle, Taylor Rooks stood out during the 2019-2020 NBA Bubble. During the pandemic, the NBA created a quarantined working and living bubble of NBA players and staff in Disney Land California to protect from the spread of COVID-19. Rooks was one of the few people in the bubble. Despite living and working during such difficult times, she found a community in her co-workers.
“I think that we all kind of felt like we were a part of this like, fraternity of people [since] there’s very few people you can talk to about the bubble. That place made me a better journalist, and I am eternally thankful for that experience”.
Her growth in the bubble did not go unnoticed. In 2019. Rooks was listed on Forbes 30 under 30. She has created a positive example for the next generation of women in athletics. Rooks has hopes that the next-gen will have a brighter future. .
“I hope stories are told about their talent and accomplishments because too often we make stories about women in sports, about them being women… in sports. We can discuss women as great athletes as champions, competitors, et cetera. Womanhood doesn’t need to be the focal point of everything. So my hope is just that they are seen as, as whole people.”
“… If you have something to say, I want to be who you say it to. That’s my career ambition…”
In terms of hopes and dreams for her career, Rooks is enthusiastic to interview more voices. She has dreamed of interviewing one particular athlete for some time now, Serena Williams. When asked what her question for Williams would be, Rooks responded, “I would wanna ask her about the pressure and the happiness that has come with being the standard and when you become the standard at something, what pushes you to keep on wanting to be greater because she’s already accomplished is great, you know? Also [I would ask about], the different sacrifices that that she had to make in comparison to her male counterparts.”
While Rooks has achieved greatness, she is continuously raising the bar. So, we asked, what is her end goal? “To be the go-to person that interviews any and everyone. So athletes, politicians, entertainers, and everyday citizens. If you have something to say, I want