At times, it seems that Maria Taylor is everywhere.
But, things weren’t always this way for the star sportscaster.
There was a time in her life that taking on such a huge role seemed unlikely.
The fact of the matter is that, not too long ago, female sportscasters were non-existent.
American beauty queen Phyllis George became the first woman to cover a sports match in 1974.
Four years later, Jayne Kennedy became the first Black woman to do the same.
From her days as a college athlete to her current success, Taylor has had an exciting path.
She later added, “There is plenty of support from the top down.
All the coaches want to win, but it is also a really loving and supportive environment.”
As much as Taylor enjoyed playing sports, though, she knew that her future was in academics.
She applied herself in the classroom and frequently made the Honor Roll.
you could never lose that.
You have to stay the same and stay true to who you are," she said.
With this in mind, Taylor never stopped applying herself in her classes.
Her decision to balance academics with athletics would ultimately pay off.
Taylor did not immediately recognize her own talent for language but luckily, one of her professors did.
This inspired her to take some business classes and some English classes.
She has not looked back since.
“As far as volleyball is concerned, you have to practice anything so that be good at it.
Television is the same way,” she revealed in a conversation withSEC.
“you’re gonna wanna know everything inside and out.
Just like you study the game, you have to study your craft.”
In her opinion, this was a game changer.
“I always tell people how important internships are.
I interned at Fox Sports South in Atlanta my senior year.
“It’s all about internships and building relationships.
And practice, practice, practice.”
With this in mind, Taylor grew resolved to work her way to the top.
“I feel like I am a freshman in my career.
One day, I hope to be a leader in my field,” she added.
Greg Moore hired Taylor for a position at SIAC broadcasts in 2012.
Her response, ‘Oprah.’
I thought to myself, ‘Well there you have it,'” he toldHBCU Gameday.
Shortly after cinching that job with SIAC, Taylor moved on to bigger and better things.
She signed a contract with ESPN, where she eventually became the host for “College Gameday.”
Less than a week after her time at ESPN ended, Taylor signed a new contract with NBC.
“She had a physical presence and an intellectual presence.
She was the complete package.
Anyone could have seen that,” he said in the same interview.
Rather than take this loss graciously, Nichols who is white complained about it.
Just, you know, find it somewhere else."
Nichols eventually issued a public apology for the remarks, but the damage was already done.
I’ve had my company stand behind that thought."
I can host Football Night in America.
You know what I can do?
I can host the Olympics.
“So at the very least, I know I can do that.”
The organization helps aspiring sportscasters find mentors, internships, and professional opportunities.
For Taylor, it is gratifying to see young people follow in her footsteps.
As she toldNBC Sports, “I have always uplifted others specifically women.
She was not always sure about marrying her husband
In 2021, Maria Taylor married Jonathan Hemphill.
In fact, the pair actually broke up at one point in their relationship.
Despite her initial suspicions about Hemphill’s marriage readiness, she continued to go out with him.
“I was like, ‘I just can’t do it.
I don’t think I want to do it,’ Taylor recalled.
“I immediately knew I had given birth to my soulmate.”
“My journey to motherhood has not been a straight line.
In the end, however, she was thrilled with her choice to become a mom.
“My baby boy traveled and worked all across the country, and even overseas with me.
Even so, she never gave up on her dreams.
These days, Taylor sees her grandmother’s struggles and conquests as a huge part of her own identity.
“Good Morning America’s” Robin Robertshas supported Taylor through good times and bad.
The more experienced journalist has even helped Taylor navigate career changes and job opportunities.
“Robin Roberts has been kind of like my go-to person.
Or, ‘What direction do you think would be the best direction?’
You know, that jot down of thing,” Taylor told XO Necole.
Of course, this was not the first time that Taylor was asked to cover the Olympics.
In the past, she had flown to Tokyo and Beijing to cover the competitions.
That being said, Taylor seemed particularly excited about the prospect of spending the summer working in France.
She delivered a gold medal-worthy performance, indeed.
