Sad news for the sports world today. Howard University graduate Terez Paylor has recently passed away. Paylor made a name for himself covering football and was even on the committee to decide NFL Hall Of Fame inductees. Recently, stories have been coming out about how Paylor selflessly saved Terrell Owens from being overlooked again by Hall Of Fame voters. Owens had been pitched several times, but could not garner enough votes due to conflicts with his behavior. Paylor spoke to the voters about how Owens was an inspiration in his community growing up, and that skipping him for the Hall Of Fame him would be disappointing on a level many of the voters hadn’t before considered. Paylor was often a hard worker with a soft spot. Read more about his life below from Charean Wiliams at NBC Sports.
Sports journalism has lost some good people over the past several days: ESPN baseball writer Pedro Gomez died unexpectedly Sunday at the age of 58, and NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling died Friday at the age of 46 after a long battle with cancer.
On Tuesday came more terrible news: Long-time NFL writer Terez Paylor died unexpectedly. He was 37.
Paylor joined Yahoo Sports in 2018 as a senior NFL writer after 12 years at the Kansas City Star.
Paylor was a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and held a vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also was an active member of the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists and served as a frequent speaker during the organization’s urban student journalism academy.
Paylor, a Detroit native, graduated from Howard University with a degree in print journalism.
“While we are shocked and saddened by Terez Paylor’s sudden passing, we also celebrate his extraordinary life that touched so many,” longtime girlfriend and fiancee Ebony Reed wrote in a statement to Yahoo Sports. “Terez was an exceptional journalist whose passion for football made him a respect voice. His legacy will leave an enduring impact on sports journalism, the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans.
“More important, Terez was a devoted son, grandson, brother, an adoring fiancee and a wonderful friend to so many. To know him was to love him. He will be dearly missed.”
There was an outpouring of grief on social media among NFL reporters.
“Terez epitomized what it meant to be a football writer,” the PFWA said in a statement. “He loved the game and the grind. He built and maintained relationships across the NFL, and he was a tremendous friend and mentor to so many of his fellow reporters.”
We send our condolences to the friends and family of Paylor.
