First recipients of Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at Howard University announced

Blair Kerkhoff
·2 min read

Terez Paylor might have worn his “Detroit vs. Everybody” shirt this week to celebrate the Lions’ first NFL playoff victory since 1991.

The former Kansas City Star reporter and Yahoo! Sports columnist who specialized in covering the NFL was a proud Motor City native who cared deeply about his hometown teams.

Paylor, who died in February 2021 at age 37, also loved his alma mater and was a model for young journalists. He graduated magna cum laude from Howard University in 2006 with a degree in journalism.

And now the school has announced the first recipients of the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship: Jayden Armant of Pittsburgh and Branson Brooks of Washington, D.C. — media, journalism and film majors — are expected to graduate in May.

They were asked by The Star via email to share their thoughts on earning the scholarship in Paylor’s name.

Said Brooks: “Just being able to see how many people reached out to us among the journalist community in Kansas City and all over the country once they found out we were the recipients of the award really tells the tale of the man Mr. Paylor was.”

Noted Armant: “Being awarded with these funds will help me continue my post-secondary education, and hopefully to eventually became a prominent figure in the media like Terez Paylor was ... That’s why it’s my honor to be granted an award in Paylor’s name, to continue his legacy in excellence within sports media.”

Both recipients said they plan to pursue careers in sports journalism.

Paylor’s fiancee, Ebony Reed, has led the scholarship fund-raising efforts at Howard and the University of Missouri, where the PowerMizzou.com scholarship was renamed in Paylor’s honor.

Two recipients of the scholarship at Mizzou have been announced so far: Joel Lorenzi, who covers the Oklahoma City Thunder for The Oklahoman, and Wendell Shepherd, who covers Missouri Tigers athletics for the Columbia Missourian. A third recipient will be announced this spring.

Paylor, who covered Mizzou for The Star before shifting to the Chiefs beat in 2013, was inducted into the Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame in September.