Journalist and sports commentator Maria Taylor. She had previously hosted shows on ESPN and the SEC Network. NBC Sports currently employ her as a sports commentator. The sportscaster has reported on many sports, such as college football, college volleyball, the NBA, and men’s and women’s college basketball.
In addition, her exit from ESPN had put her in the spotlight for some time. In addition, Rachel Nicholas reportedly left after a July 2020 conference call with LeBron James. Let’s scroll down for more about her, including her bio, dimensions, and personal life.
Early Life
Suzette Maria Taylor, known as Maria Taylor in the business world, was born to parents Suzette Taylor and Steve Taylor in Alpharetta, Georgia (U.S.). It is also believed that she is the only child the Taylors have ever had and that she was born on May 12, 1987.
Further, it’s crystal clear that the analyst is a proud American woman of African ancestry who also happens to be a citizen. Moreover, Taylor went to Centennial High and has been a sports fan since she was a little girl. Maria took full advantage of her opportunity to study what she loved at Centennial and went on to great success in the field.
The African-American woman also has a list of awards and honors to prove her superiority. Taylor, for example, has been named to the Atlanta Tip-Off Team of the Year, Fulton County Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and All-Region Team three times.
She was named Offensive MVP and All-State during her senior year of high school. Maria was selected to join the USA Volleyball Junior National A2 Team in 2004 due to her outstanding athletic performance. These achievements ultimately led to an athletic scholarship for graduate school at the University of Georgia.
The Alpharetta native also played basketball and volleyball at the University, where she eventually became an All-SEC volleyball player.. Taylor continued to play on the U.S. Junior A2 volleyball team throughout college.
Similarly, by the time Maria’s collegiate career was winding down, she had accumulated 1729 career kills and 2020 career points, putting her in fourth place in both categories. The Georgian’s clear and concise writing style is likely due to her background as a sports analyst, a role she never pursued professionally.
Standing next to Maria Taylor is the most accurate height assessment the sport of college football has ever had.
— Richard🇬🇾Johnson (@RJ_Writes) September 23, 2018
Maria Taylor Career & Life Achievements
She reported for ESPN2’s Saturday night primetime college football broadcasts from the sidelines in 2013. Since 2009, she has been actively employed as an analyst. She worked for IMG College at the University of Georgia for three years. She had also made guest appearances on studio programs such as SEC Men’s Basketball Tonight and SportsNite.
In addition, in 2014, she started working as a college football reporter for the SEC Network. She collaborated with Jesse Palmer, pundit Brent Musburger, and others. Having gained experience, she succeeded Samantha Ponder in 2017 on ESPN’s College GameDay as a reporter and host. She has covered a wide range of sporting events for ESPN, from local high school sports to NFL and NBA games.
The day after the 2021 NBA Finals concluded on July 20, she reportedly quit the network. In addition, the network offered her a raise of $1 million, but she rejected the offer. NBC Sports hired her after only two days, and she will make her on-air debut during the 2020 Summer Olympics and serve as a correspondent for the network.
Maria Taylor’s Personal Life
Now discussing her private life, we learn that the stunning sportscaster has tied the knot with her longtime partner, Rodney Blackstock. The ceremony occurred at the Hilton Sandestin in Destin, Florida, on May 5, 2019. What’s more, they began dating in 2014 after meeting at a Charlotte Hornets game.
After three years of dating, Blackstone popped the question with a halo floral-inspired ring. It appears the couple has no plans to start a family anytime soon. However, this is not something you can verify.
Rodney is of Brazilian descent and was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is also fluent in Portuguese. Before entering the NBA as a player in the 2007 draft, he worked as a sports agent.
In addition, he worked as the head of marketing at California-based Q4 Sports until May 2020. It would appear that the couple has broken up. Maria’s Instagram post of a man with the message “I Love Our Love Story” sparked much suspicion. Except for the picture, she hasn’t been very forthcoming with details about her marriage.
Maria Taylor Height, Weight
Maria Taylor is 6 feet and 2 inches tall and weighs 72 kilograms. Both her hair and eyes are jet black.
- Maria Taylor Height in Centimeters – 188 cm
- Maria Taylor Height in Meters – 1.88 m
- Maria Taylor Height in Feet – 6’2”