Crimson Drive - Taylor McGregor (ESPN) Interview - 08-29-24

welcome back to Crimson Drive driven by NASCAR this is Roger Hoover in Tuscaloosa now please be joined by the ESPN sideline reporter for Alabama's game against Western Kentucky it is Taylor McGregor who is also the sideline reporter for the Chicago Cubs she joins us now from Pittsburgh as she gets ready for this Saturday and Taylor let me be the first to say Roll Tide how's everything going well I think I'm gonna say legits spurg because sometimes that's how I refer to Pittsburgh this place is better than people give it credit for but no uh super happy to hear roll tide because that means we're nearing football season you know this is a week one and my first trip to Tuscaloosa to experience a football game I have been there before but this will be my first football game and I could not be more excited well you get to interview kayn dbor as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide not Nick Sav who your first television reporter that coach dbor will talk to pregame or at halftime postgame how excited are you for what he's bringing to this Alabama program I'm a little less intimidated by kayn dor than I am Sabin um but I I'm so excited to Showcase who kayin dbor is to you know the entire Alabama fan base across the country I feel like in a in a sense we're introducing kayin dbor to a large audience and I think it's it's really awesome I mean you just think about 10 years ago plus when Nick Sabin was taking over this Pro Alabama's program where kayin dor was in his career and he was still back in South Dakota and um you know to to just reminisce on on his kind of upbringing upbringing through the coaching ranks it's been really really fun and to see how much success he's experienced relatively early in his career as a head coach is awesome so I I have high hopes for him and Alabama and I know uh the Alabama fan base does as well because of the consistent winning that this fan base has experienced over the last decade plus what else have you learned in your research at getting ready for Saturday that excites you about the Crimson side any stories you can't wait to share well I think there's just so much to to dive into when it comes to Alabama I mean what impact will kayn dor bring when it comes to this offense you know you look at the two quarterbacks that led the country in passing a year ago and it was Austin Reed and Michael pinnick Jr which was Western Kentucky and Washington now the two coaches coaching in this game on on Saturday and then I think Alabama they struggled giving up sacks a year ago Washington did not and now you have kayin dor and you know a new coaching staff to to maybe correct some of the things new Personnel on the line of scrimmage as well that's something I'm going to pay attention to of course Jaylen milro is the biggest story I think for anybody I mean around college football in order to be a successful team you have to have a successful quarterback so rightfully so that everybody pays attention to to the quarterback but I think with with jayen we saw him make those explosive plays and and he can be incredibly Dynamic with his legs but how will he handle the intermediate passing game that's what everybody wants to know that's what I want to know and that's what kayin dore's offense really entailed last year was that intermediate passing game to then set up those explosive plays for Michael pinnick Jr so how will milroe handle this new offense how will they utilize his legs how will they utilize the tight ends I mean there's just such a long list of stories that I'm really interested in I think on the defensive side of the ball a lot of Youth um in the secondary a lot of new faces overall so you know how will they handle a TJ Finley who again look this Western Kentucky team is not a Georgia or or a power five team but they're still picked to finish second in Conference USA they can put up a lot of points and so how will this young secondary handle um a dynamic passing game in Western Kentucky I think it's going to be an interesting test very early in the season so um those are kind of some of the things that I'll be paying attention to and and the list is really long for sure and you mentioned on the other sideline Western Kentucky a really Dynamic team like you mentioned the passing game where they won eight games a year ago Tyson Hilton's pretty firmly established in Bowling Green uh what have you learned so far about the hill Toppers yeah I think what's interesting is I think everybody when they heard that TJ Finley was transferring there you thought oh he's automatically qb1 but I think there was a little bit more of a quarterback um battle Than People expected so do we see more than uh TJ Finley on Saturday we'll see um you know a lot of new phases I mean this is nothing new with college football in the transfer portal like a lot of teams go through massive turnover year in and year out but um can they sustain who they were a year ago and it was a really good you know non- power five power four however you want to say it team um and can they continue the offensive explosion with the new quarterback some of the skilled players are gone from last year how much will they run the ball you know they have a they have a a transfer um in Elijah Young Who came over from missou last year was his first year at Western Kentucky so he's played in the SEC you know he's a he's a talent how much will they run the ball with him he he kind of took on a bulk of the load a year ago um so I think one thing you know for sure is they're they're going to score points how much can they score against Alabama we'll see um but they're they're certainly a team that's established themselves in the in Conference USA your first assignment of the year in college football season you get to come here to Tes Lua to Bryant Stadium how much do you love the environments and getting to share the energy and excitement of the fan base at a place like Alabama and bring that to television I mean it's the coolest thing and I just feel so grateful I I'm literally getting chills thinking about it right now um you know there's nothing like the start of a show on a Saturday especially a Saturday night in one of the Premier SEC venues um it's just so special and and I was talking to TJ Finley this morning today Tuesday of game week and I was asking him he started before against Alabama he spent some time in the SEC at Auburn and LSU so I was like okay how do how are you prepared going into a game like this and he said I've been telling my guys to let the moment give you chills let the crowd give you chills and I thought that was an interesting point by him to you know just take it all in and as a reporter that's what I would say I do is every single Saturday I just try to remind myself how grateful I am to to do this and how many people would kill to be on the sideline at Alabama on a prime time ESPN game on Saturday night um because it's truly one of the coolest things I've ever experienced in my life um you know those moments right before kick so I I cannot wait it's going to be so much fun and I'm sure you're feeling the same time type of um emotion going into week one yes absolutely uh you'll be on the sidelines but in the booth you'll have Dusty dorek as your analyst and then Dave Pash on play byplay what do you like about your crew and uh getting to work together with these guys this year well they're pros and I've I've watched Dave and Dusty for so long and you know um for me getting bigger games has always been a goal and so to be on this crew and I consistently get you know really good matchups it's I just feel so grateful and fortunate and then to work with them like I I remember talking to Katie George and and Katie got elevated pretty early in her career and she was like I remember working with Joe Tess for the first time and Greg maroy was her analyst that first year and she she's like it just forces you to level up when everybody around you is really good at what they do you're forced to elevate yourself and so I'm excited for um the ways that you know they'll teach me things this year and um you know hopefully I can just continue to grow as a reporter am along with them because they've set a really high standard in this industry and um I'm just so so thankful that I get to be a part of this crew it's going to be so much fun a lot of fun coming up on Saturday and before we let you go I did want to touch on B for a moment as I mentioned you work with Chicago Cubs with Marquee Sports Network and SEC baseball has been on such a great run over this past decade Alabama's getting ready to send a lot of guys to the major leagues but every time you're in a major league Clubhouse now you're seeing recent SEC baseball players just what have you made of the rise of SEC baseball and the way it's now translating to Major League Baseball yeah so I was in college I went to Arkansas um so Arkansas has a Elite baseball program year in and year out and so I you know experence enced it firsthand in college but now what we're seeing in the in Major League Baseball is the game's getting younger and younger so you're seeing these you know college baseball players make the transition to Major League Baseball faster um and at much younger ages I'm in Pittsburgh right now we the as the Cubs are facing Paul SK on Wednesday you know the number one overall pick a year ago out of LSU so Alabama fans certainly know him College Baseball fans know him um so it it's been it's been really fun to see and I think what the SEC has done is it's giv a really high level of baseball for these guys to grow to make adjustments at um as much as you possibly can before making the transition to pro ball and and I think Scouts have really enjoyed it you know I think we're seeing a lot more guys drafted out of college than we are high school because they're just ready and they've experienced a lot so um I'm a I'm a huge fan of of SEC baseball venues and just watching the sport grow overall and um there's been a ton of talent that's come out of it which has been really fun well Taylor best of luck to you and my Cubbies the rest of the week we can't wait to have you here in Tuscaloosa on Saturday for Alabama against Western Kentucky just thank you for all the time you given us on the Crimson Tide Sports Network at safe travels thanks for having me it's uh going to be so fun to meet you and I cannot wait to be in tuscalo on Saturday