Maria Taylor is one of the faces of ESPN and sports media. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2009. Taylor started her career as a reporter for IMG College before landing roles at ESPN, covering college football, the NBA, and the NFL. Taylor has hosted and covered nearly every big sporting event like the Olympics, NBA Finals, and the Super Bowl, and she currently hosts “Football Night in America” before every “Sunday Night Football” game on NBC Sports. During Super Bowl week, she was a panelist at the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation’s Female Trailblazers event, and afterward, she spoke with rolling out to drop some gems and talk some football.
Can you share what challenges you face as a black woman in this field?
The biggest challenges come from doubting whether or not I actually deserve to be in the room. I grew up loving sports broadcasting but rarely saw myself sitting in the [seat] I now occupy every Sunday. So, now and then, I have to remind myself that you deserve it. I know that there are other women out there who sometimes feel the same way, but I want to reassure you that you’ve earned your spot, and rocking it out just makes space for the next one.
How have you seen the spot’s media space evolve, and how could DEI impact that?
I first started sports broadcasting when I graduated from college in 2009. I feel like the way that diversity has evolved, especially, I mean, in front of the camera. Still, behind it, we’re also seeing more producers and directors who look different and have different backgrounds, which means they will tell different stories. The key is just making sure that the goalpost doesn’t move just because someone looks different, that everyone’s given the same standards, the same opportunities, and is judged by the same merits. And that’s something that we’re getting closer and closer towards. There’s still plenty of work to do, but people are working towards it in sports.
Give some advice to the young Black woman who wants to be in your shoes.
Yeah, to the young black woman who hopes to be on Sunday Night Football, work the Olympics, or get into sports broadcasting, I want you to know that you can do it and you can be better than me. I am here holding down the line, but I will happily open this circle to welcome you. You are beautiful, and you are born to succeed. So don’t forget that or let anyone make you feel like you’re incapable because you are. Yeah, let’s do it.
Who should be the MVP this year?
If we’re judging just by the numbers, it’s most certainly Lamar Jackson. If you look at every single category, he has outshined everybody else. Saquon Barkley certainly deserved to get the votes because of how he came in and what he did for the Eagles is something that you rarely see. He could of easily set the record for rushing in a single season. Obviously, Josh Allen is in the conversation. The only reason Lamar Jackson should get it is when you look at his numbers, and they are undeniable. And sports is the ultimate meritocracy. So there you have it.
What’s Super Bowl prediction?
Honestly, I don’t want to pick a team because I’m not about to have y’all mad at me. That’s what y’all not gonna do. But here’s what I wouldn’t be surprised by is if the Chiefs find a way to get the three-peat. There’s something about history being made that is fueling this team right now, like the opportunity to do something that’s never been done before. You can see it written all over Patrick Mahomes’s face. He wants to do that. He wants to go and break that glass ceiling. And they’re a team capable of doing it because they’ve proven that they can win by the defense and the offense. They can kick a field goal at the end of the day and get the victory. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made history. No problem.
