​In this day and age of celebrity over substance, it is hard to find a sports television personality who has truly climbed the media ladder. I am talking about someone who started on the production side of things. A behind-the-scenes staffer who longed to be on air but had to pay her dues to get there. One of those personalities is ESPN reporter Taylor Davis. This season, Davis is a sideline reporter working weekly college football games on ESPN’s SEC Network. She is also the network’s top reporter for collegiate gymnastics and hosts the fun and informative SEC State of Mind podcast with former NFL and college quarterback Jason Campbell.In her role as a sideline reporter, Davis excels at disseminating a lot of information in a scant amount of time. She is also a terrific interviewer, asking poignant and direct questions pregame, at halftime, and postgame. Storytelling ExpertiseThis past week, Davis was the sideline reporter for Mississippi State at South Carolina. A matchup that was delayed by weather issues in Columbia. Davis was live on the field for the SEC Now pregame show and offered a power-packed game preview.View this post on InstagramShe stated that anticipation for the game was extremely high, with both teams featuring exciting dual-threat quarterbacks — Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. In a clear and concise manner, she talked about the quarterbacks’ size and speed. How they chose colleges in their home states, and how both have brothers on their respective teams. She even offered breaking news, reporting that South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart would make his season debut. It was a textbook sideline reporter stand-up. Davis set the scene, talked about key players, included pertinent information, and provided the necessary background.Speaking of background, let’s get back to Davis herself. She has been with ESPN since graduating from Auburn University in 2014. Davis spent four years at the network as a production assistant and content associate. She edited studio highlights, produced content and feature stories. Even worked on graphics for ESPN college sports programming.There are not many frontline national sports reporters who started their careers in dark edit rooms pressing buttons and producing content. This gives Davis a uniquely wide-ranging television perspective. She understands the collaborative nature of good television and has an innate respect for the talented technical professionals that fans never see.In essence, Davis is a throwback. For anyone who has worked at all levels of media, she’s an inspiring example of perseverance. Good backstories only take you so far, however. Make no mistake, Davis is one of the most talented sideline reporters working today. During the Mississippi State-South Carolina game, she excelled at the most challenging part of her job. The quick and often awkward coach’s interview at halftime.Flawless ExecutionDavis was on her game. Sh