Personality Profile of Josh Taylor originally posted on KDKA, June 2021
When the call came to fulfill a childhood dream, he just couldn’t say no.
Josh Taylor joined the KDKA Sports team in 2015 as an anchor, reporter, and producer, after spending more than two years as the weekend sports anchor at KHBS-KHOG in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
During his time there, Josh received two Associated Press awards for his work with the station’s coverage of Arkansas Razorback football.
Born in Pittsburgh and having grown up in the Hill District, in the shadow of the Civic Arena, Josh first fell in love with sports during his childhood years, having seen his first Penguins game at seven years old.
After graduating from Schenley High School, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Multimedia from Duquesne University.
Getting his first experience as a student journalist, Josh was an anchor, reporter, and producer for a DUQ-TV News special that won a Telly Award in 2008.
Josh has taken great pride in being a “Jack of all trades,” working on-air in television and radio and having been a co-author for six books – each of them about Pittsburgh sports.
In 2017, he began to carve out a small niche for himself as the host of the “Sunday Morning Grind” on KDKA-FM, 93.7 “The Fan”. He has also added announcing local sports to his repertoire, doing play-by-play and color commentary for Duquesne men’s and women’s basketball games and high school football.
In 2017, Josh was added to the Duquesne Journalism and Multimedia Department’s “Wall of Fame,” and was also honored as one of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Men of Excellence.”
He also began to find his bearings as a public speaker and emcee, co-hosting the Courier’s Vann Media Awards Banquet with KDKA’s own Mikey Hood and presenting at the City League Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2018.
In his spare time, Josh has become increasingly involved in community outreach and volunteer work, hosting and speaking at events for various organizations. He has been a member of the Young Professionals Board for Wesley Family Services since 2018, and has also worked closely with the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. In 2019, Josh hosted WPSD’s “An Evening in Edgewood,” helping them raise funds for their on-campus Children’s Center. He has also participated in “Dancing With the Pittsburgh Superstars” as both a dancer and emcee and also hosts the annual “Dancing With the Dukes” event at Duquesne to support his brothers of Gamma Phi Fraternity.
Josh and his wife, Priscilla, reside in Pittsburgh with their son, Nathan. In his spare time, Josh may be found on the diamond playing either 38-and-over baseball or softball, watching one of his favorite pastimes, professional wrestling – whether live in person or on TV, or loaded up with his family in their SUV on the road somewhere.
VITALS
Joined KDKA: April 2015
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa., The Hill District
Alma Mater: Duquesne University
FAVORITES
Music: That’s a wide range, anything from Motown classics, 70s soul and classical to 90s and 2000s hip hop (the golden age of the genre, no exceptions!) and R&B!
Movie: ” It’s hard to pick just one. To name a few: “Fences”, “The Ten Commandments”, “Tombstone”, and anything from “Star Wars” or the Marvel cinematic universe.
TV Show: I’m probably one of the biggest fans of “The Wire” and “Supernatural” you’ll ever find, but you’ll most likely find me watching “Law and Order: SVU”, “Queen of the South” or any live pro wrestling show (WWE, NXT, AEW, Impact).
Book: “Moneyball”, “Feeding the Monster”, and almost anything written by John Grisham, James Patterson and Christopher Moore.
Hobbies: Yoga, kickboxing, writing, and my all-time favorite… sleeping
Sports Team: Many Pittsburgh team, Duquesne Dukes, Los Angeles Lakers, and my adopted Arkansas Razorbacks – “Woo Pig Sooie!”
Food: I eat almost anything, but prefer authentic barbecue, sushi, wings or a good burger. I can also make a pretty impressive skillet of cheese eggs with pancakes.
Local Restaurant: Sushi Tomo, Thai Foon, Doce Taqueria, Piper’s Pub, and I’ll always have room for wings from Bigham Tavern.
Hidden PA Gem: Conneaut Lake. Easily the most underrated place to spend a weekend.
Sport/Exercise: Baseball, softball, and recently picked up golf.
Quote: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you’ve imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
Vacation Spot: Punta Cana, Jamaica
Guilty Pleasure: Peanut M&M’s
THIS OR THAT
Facebook or Twitter? Twitter
Cats or Dogs? Dogs, especially pitbulls
Beatles or Rolling Stones? Neither, Earth Wind & Fire
Comedy or Tearjerker? Comedy
Phone Call or Text Message? Text message
Mac or PC? PC
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, specifically Café Bustelo
Paper or Plastic? Paper
Morning Person or Night Person? Always been a night owl
East Coast or West Coast? East Coast
Follow Josh Taylor on Twitter.