Taylor Rooks

Taylor Rooks has been married to Shane Fowler since July 2025. They married in a private ceremony in New York City, with the wedding held under a no-phone, no-posting rule.

Rooks is the daughter of former Illinois Fighting Illini football player Thomas Rooks and Stephanie Rooks, who also studied broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois. Her extended family includes St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Lou Brock and former Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints player Marv Woodson. She has also described her younger brother, Ryan Rooks, as a political fundraiser in Georgia.

Rooks graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, in 2010 and studied broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During college, she interned with the PGA Tour, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and Fox Sports, while also reporting on football and basketball recruiting for Scout.com.

From 2012 to 2014, she covered Illinois football and basketball for Scout.com. Her recruiting coverage brought national attention, including stories involving Cliff Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Quentin Snider, Charles Matthews, and Jayson Tatum. She also made her first national television appearance at 19 while reporting on the WBB Pre-NIT Championship for CBS Sports Network.

In 2014, Rooks joined the Big Ten Network as an on-air host, reporter, and correspondent. She appeared on BTN Live, reported from Big Ten games, and co-hosted Women's Sports Report with Lisa Byington. Her work included coverage of major events such as the Big Ten Football Championship.

Rooks moved to SportsNet New York in 2016, continuing as a host, reporter, and anchor. During the 2016-2017 college football season, she also worked as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network.

Rooks joined Bleacher Report in 2018 and became the host and executive producer of Take It There With Taylor Rooks. The interview series established her reputation for asking direct questions and exploring athletes' lives and perspectives beyond competition. Her interviews with figures including DeMar DeRozan and Candace Parker have been highlighted as examples of this approach.

She contributed to Bleacher Report and Turner Sports coverage of events such as the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game, and hosted the NBA on TNT live stream experience. Her NBA interviews during the league's pandemic bubble period were praised for focusing on the emotions and wider context behind the games. She also received an Emmy Award nomination for her sports journalism.

Before the 2022 season, Rooks joined Amazon Prime Video's Thursday Night Football as a feature reporter, contributing to pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage. She added TNT Sports sideline reporting in 2023, beginning with selected college basketball games and later covering NBA games during the 2024-2025 season. Beginning with the 2025-2026 season, she became the primary host of Amazon Prime Video's NBA studio coverage while continuing to appear on Thursday Night Football. She has also worked as a broadcaster for Puppy Bowl.

Rooks is known for conversational interviews designed to reveal the person behind the athlete. Her work has included interviews with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Dwyane Wade, and DeMar DeRozan.

Her media presence extends beyond game coverage. She has appeared at major sports and entertainment events, modeled in a campaign for Drake's OVO clothing brand, and used short-form videos to document her fashion and beauty preparations for Thursday Night Football. She has said that she wants her interviews to reach audiences beyond regular sports fans by emphasizing subjects' lives as well as their careers.