One of the biggest storylines to come out of Week 1 of the college football slate had nothing to do with what transpired on the field.
ESPN reporter Taylor Davis became a viral sensation Saturday while covering Southern Miss’ 34-17 loss to Mississippi State, when she was captured on video jamming to the music blaring inside The Rock, a.k.a. M.M. Roberts Stadium, in Hattiesburg, Miss.
In footage circulating across social media, Davis — formerly of the University of Auburn — appears to mouth the lyrics to a Drake track while holding her mic on the sidelines.
Kujho Carr, the official DJ for Southern Miss, posted an additional TikTok video of Davis vibing to Nicki Minaj, with the reporter poking fun at herself in the comments.
“Couldn’t help myself!” she exclaimed.
Davis, a college sports reporter who has been part of ESPN since 2014, addressed the buzzy moment this week on the “SEC State of Mind” podcast with Jason Campbell.
“You know what, it’s something that really surprises people about me that all I listen to is rap,” she said. “I’m originally from a small town in Alabama, I went to Auburn, I live in Nashville, and I don’t listen to country music. I listen to rap and hip hop, and my memory is pretty good so, my lyrical prowess just comes out every now and then. Especially pregame when I’m getting in the zone.
“Unbeknownst to me, I was being recorded, and then once I realized the DJ was recording me, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you think this is cool, you like this song?’ Yeah, it’s gone viral, I’m a little embarrassed, I’m not gonna lie, because that is a little cringe, but I am who I am and you gotta do what keeps you loose before a game.”
Fans of Davis loved what they saw, flooding her Instagram comments Tuesday with encouraging messages.
“You rapping was straight fire!!” one fan exclaimed.
“Girl you crushed it and keep it coming now!!” another wrote.
In addition to college football, Davis covers college gymnastics.