Smith performing at the Lighthouse Cafe, in Torrance California, in December of last year. (Screenshot, Facebook.)

by Edward Lynn
Editor, The Eagle Grove Eagle

After a search lasting more than a year, the staff of the Eagle Grove Eagle and the Wright County Monitor are very pleased to welcome Taylor Smith to our team, as our new Sports Editor. The 32 year old Smith is an Eagle Grove native, who has recently moved back to the area.

Homeschooled until eighth grade, Smith became active in sports as a student at Eagle Grove High School, where he joined the cross country, track, and basketball teams. But, the 6’5″ tall Smith said, basketball is his favorite sport. “It’s non-stop action,” he explained, “it’s back and forth. It’s high scoring, high flying – when it’s played correctly.”

After high school, Smith attended the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls. It was there that he got his start in sports journalism, as he covered UNI athletics, music, and college life on KULT 94.5.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Communications at UNI in May of 2013, Smith found work in radio in Altoona, WI, where he worked until the autumn of 2014. From there, Smith relocated to California, where he settled in the South Bay area of greater Los Angeles.

In his roughly eight and a half years working in radio in the L.A. area, Smith produced content for such well known national brands as NBC Sports Radio, Westwood One, Radio.com, and ESPN.

But eventually, Smith said, he grew tired of the big city and longed to return home. “It’s a quiet, familiar life,” he said.

And as it turned out, his timing was perfect, as the only sports reporter job in town just happened to be open when he got here. Back home to a hometown which has been desperately in need of a full time sports Editor whose focus could be on covering sports, since the retirement of Les Houser.

And since returning home, Smith said, he’s rekindled some old friendships. And that was a big part of the draw that pulled him back home, he said. “I know people in the area. I’d kind of drifted apart from some.. But it’s good to see some familiar faces again.”

Aside from sports journalism, Smith is also a musician. In fact, since returning to Eagle Grove, he’s already played a few gigs in the area, including at Rails.

But, Smith said, he’s particularly excited about covering local sports. “The way to cover sports is with honesty,” Smith said. “I want the fans to be excited, and I want to share that passion with them.”

And you have to cover the ups and downs of sports honestly, Smith emphasized, while acknowledging that you can’t always report a win. “But I’ll always give the athletes a fair shake,” he said. “Bottom line,” he said with a lopsided grin, “GO EAGLES!”