Emmy-nominated sports broadcast journalist Taylor Rooks took her talents to the tables at Super Bowl LIX, competing in Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Battle of the Paddles on Wednesday.

This marked the third year of the event, and the competition was intense.

“It’s always high stakes and electric! Everybody really wants to win, but it’s such a fun idea,” Rooks told Blavity in a recent interview.

Battle of the Paddles featured four of the NFL’s top table tennis players alongside four celebrity fans.

According to the official news release announcing the event’s return, Battle of the Paddles was the “unofficial sport of NFL locker rooms,” where specially curated teams went head-to-head in a “series of competitive doubles matches before the NFL players broke off into a singles tournament. Fans could look forward to seeing the football stars battle it out for the bragging rights of taking home the coveted championship belt.”

Rooks, who grew up in Georgia, was teamed up with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and put her skills to the test.

“I have learned that my backhand is much better than my forehand,” she said.

Although she practiced ahead of the event, Rooks admitted she was a little on edge about the competition.

“The real question for me is: what level is everybody else going to be?” she laughed. “But I’m ready for whatever.”

The Bleacher Report journalist revealed that she and Cousins had squeezed in some extra practice before the tournament in hopes of securing a win—and shutting down the trash talk from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

“He never stops talking! All he is going to do is talk about how he is the best ping-pong player and that he should win,” Rooks joked. “All these guys are great. It’s fun, but it can get really competitive.”

She later added, “People enjoy seeing their favorite athletes in different elements. We know all these guys are elite NFL players, but what else do they do? What else do they like to do, and what are they like in other spaces? How do they interact with one another, and does their love of competition and winning translate to other sports? I think people will be able to see players through a different lens and from a really fun perspective.”

Battle of the Paddles is now streaming on Complex’s YouTube channel.

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