Maria Taylor Biography – Maria Taylor Wiki
Maria Taylor born Suzette Maria Taylor is an analyst and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. She covers college football, college volleyball, NBA, NFL, and college men’s and women’s basketball. While attending Centennial High School, she had a successful four-year basketball career in which she received many accolades. Among the awards were being a member of the Atlanta Tip-Off Team of the Year, being a Fulton County Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Offensive MVP of her high school volleyball team for three years, a three-time All-Region Selection, and being named All-State as a senior. She was additionally selected to be a member of the 2004 USA Volleyball Junior National A2 team.
She got an athletic scholarship to the University of Georgia, where she continued to play volleyball and basketball from 2005 to 2009. While at Georgia she was named a member of the All-SEC volleyball team each season. She also continued to play for the US Volleyball Junior National A2 team and helped them win a bronze medal during the Open Division of the US Volleyball Championships. By the time her playing days were done in the fall of 2008, she ranked fourth all-time in program history in career kills with 1,729 and was fourth all-time in total points with 2,020.
Before 2012, she was a reporter and host for IMG College at the University of Georgia for three years. She also appeared on various studio shows including Dawg Report, SEC Men’s Basketball Tonight, and SportsNite. In 2013, she became the sideline reporter on ESPN2’s weekly Saturday-night primetime college football telecast in addition to the Orange Bowl, her second consecutive year covering the annual bowl game. She has been an analyst on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show, NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show, and also ESPN’s coverage of both the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Volleyball National Championship for the past two years.
She joined the SEC Network in 2014. She is a college football reporter on SEC Network with commentator Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer. She is also an analyst on other SEC telecasts, including volleyball and women’s basketball. In 2017, she became part of the ESPN College GameDay broadcast team as reporter and host, replacing Samantha Ponder, and was an ESPN host and reporter for the College Football Playoff between the University of Georgia and the University of Oklahoma. Subsequently, she was a host and reporter for the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia. She works the ABC broadcast of Saturday night football as a sideline reporter, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit calling the game from the booth.
She started working as a host of NBA Countdown in 2019. It is the pre-game show for ESPN’s Friday night and Sunday afternoon NBA games. In 2020, she was the sideline reporter for Pittsburgh Steelers vs New York Giants Monday Night Monday opener. In comments still rippling through the network, the reporter Rachel Nichols, who is white, said Maria Taylor, who is Black, earned the job to host 2020 N.B.A. finals coverage because ESPN was “feeling pressure” on diversity.
Maria Taylor Age
She was born on May 12, 1987, in Alpharetta, Georgia, United States.
Maria Taylor Husband
She is married to her husband, Rodney Blackstock. The couple got married on May 5, 2019.
Maria Taylor Parents
She is the daughter of Suzette Taylor and Steve Taylor.
Maria Taylor Height
She stands at a listed height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) tall.
Maria Taylor Instagram
She is on Instagram as @mariataylor.
