Maria Taylor recently etched her name into the history books during Super Bowl LX. She became the first Black woman to host the pregame show. Also, she’s the first woman to present the Super Bowl trophy on broadcast since Lesley Visser in 1992.
As one of the most renowned sportscasters, Taylor brought “Black Girl Magic” to the postgame podium at Levi’s Stadium. She handed the trophy to the Seattle Seahawks following their victory over the New England Patriots.
In a full-circle moment, Taylor presented the trophy to Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, her former classmate from Centennial High School in Georgia.
“Just two kids from Centennial High School that made it to the Super Bowl,” Maria Taylor wrote in a post on X.
According to USA Today, both Taylor and Macdonald also attended the University of Georgia. Taylor went into sports broadcasting, working at ESPN from 2014 to 2021 before joining NBC Sports. Currently, she’s the lead studio host for the network’s NBA and WNBA coverage. She also hosts “Football Night in America,” the first woman to hold the position.
“A moment I will never forget,” she wrote in another post, with a clip of herself during pregame coverage.
“Thank you to Lesley Visser for opening the door,” she continued, “Because of that, I’m able to step into this role today. I can’t wait to see more women in this position for years to come.”
Speaking with SI’s Jimmy Traina, Taylor shared her excitement about the distinction.
“I will say it’s a tremendous privilege to be the person who is presenting the Lombardi Trophy,” Taylor said. “You know what I mean? How rare [it is]. I mean, working the Super Bowl in general, too, but things like that, those are pinch-me moments outside of the already unbelievable situations that are happening for the entire month of February. But I will say, that’s special.”