WSJ, Yahoo Sports, KC Star launch Howard U. scholarship

The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Sports and The Kansas City Star today announced the creation of the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at Howard University. The scholarship will be awarded to students majoring in journalism, with an emphasis in sports journalism, who carry a 3.0 GPA requirement.

Paylor passed away in February of 2021 after a prolific career as a sports writer, most recently covering the NFL for Yahoo! Sports.

“On behalf of the Paylor/Elliott family, we are eternally grateful to all parties that made possible the establishment of the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at his alma mater – Howard University (HU).  We can’t think of a better way to acknowledge, honor, and cement Terez’s legacy and contributions as a sports journalist, than establishing this scholarship in his name at HU,” said Paylor’s parents, Sharmyn Elliott and Ava Paylor-Elliott. “By virtue of this scholarship, it is our hope that our son’s legacy will live on and inspire future black sports journalists to employ the tenacity and perseverance Terez epitomized, and to uphold these values he embodied by committing to be the best they can possibly be and to “never be outworked.”

Ebony Reed, Paylor’s fiancée, and the Journal’s new audiences chief, said “Terez’s extraordinary life touched so many, and the Terez A. Paylor scholarship will continue that impact. It was a long-term goal of Terez’s to have a scholarship in his name at Howard University to help bring more students, especially those of color, into sports journalism. Terez was an exceptional journalist whose passion for football made him a respected voice. His legacy of excellent reporting with a human touch, deep knowledge of football and being known as someone who always had time to help a friend or offer mentorship will now impact future generations, too.”

Paylor graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 2002, and went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism in May 2006.

Paylor joined Yahoo! Sports in April of 2018, realizing his dream of becoming a NFL national writer. Prior to joining Yahoo! Sports, he worked at The Kansas City Star for 12 years, covering high school sports, the University of Missouri college sports beat, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

He also had a radio program, The Terez Paylor Show, on 610 Sports Radio and was a contributor to the Kansas City Chiefs coverage at 41 Action News in Kansas City.

Paylor mentored young journalists and supported several charities. A selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he advocated for NFL players of diverse backgrounds, including Terell Owens, to be considered for the industry honor. In 2018, he joined fellow Howard alum and longtime NFL defensive back Antione Bethea in writing his book and personal story, “Bet On Yourself: Inside the Mind of the Ultimate Underdog.”

In the spring of 2020, Paylor explained to Yahoo! Sports podcast listeners why NFL players had taken on social justice issues while kneeling at games as he talked about the significance of George Floyd’s recent death at the hands of a Minnesota policeman.

“400 years is a long time to have a history of bad stuff happening and inequality,” Paylor said during the podcast with Yahoo! colleague, Charles Robinson. “That’s a long time. Even though rules were changed in the ‘60s and laws were passed. The effects of the stuff from the first 350 years are still felt. And they are not forgotten. They have wide-ranging impacts on families in every state, on multiple social-economic statuses. … It’s not a victim mentality. I really want people to understand. Most black people all would like nothing more than to forget it. Forget the fact that skin color does matter. The problem is far too often you are kind of reminded of it without it being something you want to have happen.”

Donations to the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship
Online credit card gifts can be made at: https://giving.howard.edu/givenow
Under “Tribute,” please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor.
Under “Designation,” click on “Other” and write in “Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.”

Checks may be mailed to:
Howard University
P.O. Box 417853
Boston, M.A. 02241-7853
Please note that your gift is to the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.