GREAT SCOTT?
Cowboys hoping defensive end is ready to step into larger role
STILLWATER — Mike Scott refuses to let his teammates outwork him in the weight room.
Scott's arms might shake when he repeatedly lifts, but he has motivation to build strength as some guys around him hoist heavier weights with ease. He occasionally puts in an extra lifting rep when his fellow Oklahoma State defensive linemen aren't paying attention so they won't razz him about it.
“Just one, I don't want to do too much, but those guys ( are) pretty strong,” Scott said. “So they really push me a lot to try to keep up with them.”
Scott, a 245-pound redshirt senior defensive end, is competitive in this group of bulky linemen, but his leaner build gives him a different kind of strength. At 6 feet, 5 inches with a large wingspan, he is one of OSU's tallest defensive players, shorter than only 6-foot-6 freshman Kody Walterscheid. Scott can use his lengthy arms to reach and wrap up opponents, skills the Cowboys will need in the absence of former standout defensive end Jordan Brailford.
Brailford had an explosive 2018 season with nine sacks and 54 tackles, and his 0.69 sacks per game led the Big 12. As he embarks on his NFL career with the Washington Redskins, the Cowboys are relying on Scott and redshirt sophomore Brock Martin to fill this versatile weak-side defensive end position.
Scott and Kyle Junior, a Bowling Green graduate transfer, are the only seniors on the defensive line. Scott is embracing the “Cowboy culture” as he enters his second season under coach Mike Gundy.
“I feel like I've grown a lot,” Scott said. “Learning my plays, learning what coach wants me to execute, running to the ball, just actually learning how to be a Cowboy, really.”
Football fans might recognize Scott not only for the name he shares with the well- known boss character on “The Office” but also for a key play he made in the 2018 Liberty Bowl. In the fourth quarter, Scott blocked Tucker McCann's field-goal attempt, preserving OSU's lead against Missouri.
During the past season, Scott had 10 tackles and three sacks, including two sacks against Texas Tech. As Scott prepares to take on a larger role for the Cowboys, Gundy said he can't predict what will happen.
“I had a scout ask me the other day what kind of year that I thought he would have,” Gundy said. “And I
I said, `He may end up with four tackles and one sack, or he might have eight sacks and 60 tackles.' I'm not sure what he'll do right now.”
Regardless of Scott's impact this season, Gundy said Scott has learned to take football more seriously and has transformed his body. Scott said he was undersized for his position when he arrived at OSU, but he knew what to expect from strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass.
Scott started his college career at Southern Methodist University, about 15 miles from his hometown of Irving, Texas. At SMU, his strength coach was Trumain Carroll, a former defensive end and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Cowboys.
Carroll infused some OSU methods into his conditioning plan, preparing the Mustangs with Glass' grueling but difference-making workouts.
After redshirting at SMU and playing in four games the next season, Scott transferred to Trinity Valley Community College for his redshirt sophomore year. Scott said he didn't have a great time in junior college and jumped at the opportunity when a Division I
school showed interest in him. He told defensive line coach Joe Bob Clements he was ready to commit to OSU.
When Scott became a Cowboy, the wide receivers and running backs quickly showed him the importance of developing strength and quickness.
“The athletes they get here are fast, like world- class speed,” Scott said. “I've never seen it in my life. So working with Coach Glass helped me get faster just to chase them.”
OSU's burly offensive linemen and fast quarterbacks are
also formidable opponents for Scott in practice, but they are conditioning him for the season.
To stay competitive, he and his D-line buddies poke fun at each other. Although fellow defenders sometimes joke that Scott is the weakest of the bunch, he recognizes how these “crazy- strong” Cowboys, as he called several of them, challenge him to work harder and prove them wrong.
“I really appreciate working with these guys,” Scott said. “I'm really having fun this year.”