Maria Taylor

Maria Taylor is an ESPN and SEC Network television host in the United States. She covers college football, volleyball, the NBA, the NFL, and men's and women's basketball at the collegiate level.

Background and Age

Maria Taylor was born on May 12, 1987, in Alpharetta, GA. Taylor went to the University of Georgia, where she played volleyball and basketball for the Bulldogs. She was named to the All-SEC volleyball crew multiple times and was also a USA A2 National Volleyball crew member. She graduated from Georgia in 2009 with a degree in broadcast news. She came back to the University to pursue her Master of Business Administration, which she finished in May of 2013.

Career and Net Worth

Maria Taylor is a co-host on ESPN's College Gameday, sideline columnist for ABC's Saturday Night Football, and a co-host of ESPN's "Get Up!". In 2016, Taylor joined sports analysts Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears, and Paul Finebaum as host of the SEC Network's pregame show SEC Nation. Taylor was likewise selected to host ESPN's NCAA Women's Basketball tournament show and coverage of the Final Four. Notwithstanding her hosting and announcing obligations, she is an expert on other SEC and ESPN telecasts of NCAA Volleyball. Before 2016, Maria filled in as a school football correspondent on SEC Network Saturday Primetime broadcasts and anchored the system's evening news and data show SEC Now.

In 2013, she was the sideline correspondent on ESPN2's Saturday night Primetime school football match-ups. Taylor covered two successive BCS Orange Bowls. Furthermore, she has been an expert on the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Preview Show and ESPN's coverage of both the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and Women's Volleyball National Championship. In July 2020, Maria Taylor said she would stand behind her colleague, Adrian Wojnarowski after the NBA insider wrote "F–k you" in an email to a US Senator. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri conveyed an official statement slamming the NBA for permitting players to wear specific social equality messages on their jerseys.

In light of Black Lives Matter protests following the May passing of George Floyd, the association and players association consented to a rundown of explanations for players to return on their shirts. Hawley disagreed with the rundown of 29 expressions, which NBA approved; Wojnarowski later apologized; however, Taylor tweeted support for her collaborator, who generally is viewed as the top NBA columnist., "I don't care what anyone says. I will always stand with, by, and for my incredible colleague & friend @wojespn."

Marriage

Maria got married to Rodney Blackstock in 2019. He is known as a former college basketball player. The two met for the first time in 2014 while watching the Charlotte Hornets play. They exchanged phone numbers and began messaging often. None of them realized they were falling in love. Taylor stated at one point that when she first saw him, she felt weak in the knees and had a "that's the one" feeling. Rodney and Maria began dating following that, and eight months later, the former proposed to Maria.

For the sportscaster, it was a no-brainer. They were supposed to marry in June 2016, but they both felt that things were going too quickly and that wedding bells would have to wait. Rodney planned a romantic proposal with a flower-embellished halo ring while on a trek someplace in Los Angeles. She answered yes this time and was ready to take the first step toward a happy married life.

Finally, on May 5, 2019, the couple was united in holy matrimony in a picturesque setting overlooking the ocean at the Hilton Sandestin in Destin, Florida. Maria, too, looked stunning in an all-white bridal gown designed by Eve of Milady.

Community Works

Maria co-founded The Winning Edge Leadership Academy, a non-profit organization, in 2015. The Winning Edge aims to educate ethnic minorities and women who want to work in sports, establish professional mentorship connections, give networking opportunities, and provide enrichment scholarships. Since its inception in 2015, the academy has assisted 16 students in finding jobs or internships and providing mentoring and money for professional enrichment trips.