Darrell Scott Profile
California has produced some decent running backs over the years. A few of them have even won Heisman Trophies. Names like Reggie Bush, Ricky Williams, Rashaan Salaam and Marcus Allen, and that’s just San Diego.
Ventura County doesn’t have the name power that other regions in Southern California have when it comes to high school football. But during this decade, its staking its claim as a pretty productive area.
Lorenzo Booker and Marc Tyler are just two of the recent names. Both were the top running backs in the West (in Booker’s case, the country and in Tyler’s, ranked second nationally).
Then here comes Darrell Scott, proving he’s the best running back in the country. And still making a case that he may be the best player in the country.
I first saw Darrell Scott play when he was a freshman in high school. My brother was coaching the defensive line for a team that Scott and the Musketeers played early in the season. You could see in that game that the kid had the makings of a bigtime player. A year later, I watched when a sophomore Scott ran for 256 yards and three touchdowns against the same team. Scott would come up 12 yards short of a 2,000 yard season.
Then came his memorable junior year in which he rushed for over 3,100 yards and had the Musketeers on the brink of a CIF-SS Northern Division title and a possible berth in the state championship game. In fourteen games, Scott rushed for at least 200 yards in 11 of them.
His career at Moorpark ended with a move across the county to Booker’s alma mater, St. Bonaventure HS in Ventura.
Since his arrival on Telegraph Road, Scott has quietly gone about his business, making his case for the top spot.
“I’m not a cocky person,” said Scott. “But the running back is a game-changer. If you need three yards, I can do the job. If you need a high-powered offense, and you need a crazy running attack, I’m the man for the job there. Get the defense on their heels, change up the pass, you name it, I’ll do it.”
Scott is the kind of player who can change the momentum of a game in one play. Earlier this season, in a much anticipated rematch with Oaks Christian, the Seraphs had jumped out to an early four-touchdown lead, thanks to three Scott touchdowns. The Lions were starting to come back, had cut the lead to a touchdown when Scott put the nail in the coffin. With the Lion faithful the loudest they had been, the Seraphs ran on 3rd down. Scott was hit by no less than four players at the line of scrimmage, broke through the line and was gone. A 51-yard touchdown. Game over. Touchdown number five.
“That’s why the running back can change the game,” said Scott. “One big play can quiet everyone.”
One of the biggest question marks for Scott coming into the year was his speed.
His power was already known, he ran much bigger than his 6-2, 215-pound frame would indicate. He shed his tacklers, saw the hole before it was created, could stop on a dime and cutback in no time. His balance was top-notch. Everything you wanted in a running back he had. Except the answer to the speed question.
Up came the Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles in April. Scott arrived set on proving his speed was adequate.
Mission accomplished. Scott clocked the top mark of any athlete at the Scout Combine in Los Angeles, running a 4.31. He promptly put his sweats on, grabbed his bag, and left. Question answered.
“That was crazy,” laughed Scott. “I knew I could run and I knew I had speed. But that was like all I needed to know.”
In fact, that time convinced Scott that he was different than most running backs.
“It definitely takes a special kind of player to play running back,” said Scott. “You have to carry the ball 25 times a game and it’s hard to find an every down back. It’s rare to have someone who is 214 run a 4.3. I’m 6-2, 215, practically an NFL running back in size already. The NFL average is like three years, so you have to play the game smart and take a lot of punishment. NFL linebackers are a lot tougher than high school linebackers.”
Scott draws comparisons to Adrian Peterson. (Photo by Jim Mone/Associated Press)
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Scott said a running back he likes to compare himself to is Minnesota Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson, who’s been setting some records of his own.
“We are similar in the way we run. We run with power and we have speed that is football speed, and we’re hard to catch,” said Scott.
Scott is well aware of the other top players in the country, like Terrelle Pryor, Julio Jones and Arthur Brown.
“I’ve seen some of their highlights on TV and on the internet. Those guys are amazing players. There is no doubt though that the running back is most crucial. Don’t get me wrong, Terrelle and Julio are great, but I think the running back affects everything,” said Scott.
After watching Brown’s film, Scott was happy to know that he would be playing on the West with Brown in the U.S. Army All-American Game.
“Man, am I glad he’s on my side,” laughed Scott.
Not bad for a kid who almost didn’t even strap on a helmet and pads.
“At first, I didn’t even want to play football, my mom kind of made me,” said Scott. “All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and play video games. Then I got out there and loved it. Now I can save $250,000 in money for college not to mention a chance at playing in the NFL.”
And Scott said the possibility of being on a game he loves to play is pretty intriguing.
“I’m on PS3 playing NCAA Football all the time, so I’m really stoked about that. I create Darrell Scott on a couple of teams, see how I look in the uniform. I make sure that my team on the game is run dominant,” said Scott.
Darrell Scott Senior Game Highlights
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