For Indiana University running back Stevie Scott III, the time is now. After being one of the young guys, the running back from Syracuse, N.Y., is now one of the elder statesmen in the locker room and on the field, and he is ready to put those lessons to use in hopes of sharing knowledge with his teammates.
“Two years ago, I was a freshman looking up at upperclassmen, and now, I am a junior and an upperclassman. I am trying to help the younger guys so once they get to my point, they are already ahead of the game and try to help them anytime I can. I push them to be the best player they can be,” said Scott, who enters 2020 on the Maxwell Award watch list.
He is also pushing himself to be the best, as he enters 2020 18 yards shy of becoming only the 14th Indiana player to reach 2,000 yards. He shares eighth in program history with 20 rushing touchdowns and is tied for 10th with nine 100 yard games and 11th with 22 total touchdowns.
A season ago, Scott was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection, finishing fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game with 76.8 yards, fifth in carries with 178, tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns with 10 and 10th in all purpose yardage per game with 96 yards per game. He missed the Bucket Game against Purdue University, as well as the Gator Bowl against Tennessee. Scott told members of the media Friday the 23-22 loss to Tennessee has fueled him this offseason.
“Just watching from sidelines, especially losing by one point definitely hurts. I know my capability and what I could contribute. It definitely lit a fire to get back into the lab. We cant continue to come up short. I was eager to get back onto the field, especially with no spring. I’ve been going to field by myself to practice and do certain moves I can use in a game. It is a great feeling to be back and ready for season,” Scott said.
Indiana offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan told reporters earlier this summer, the coaching staff is looking at ways to get more production out of the running game this fall.
“It is an area we identified we would like to improve. We play in a conference that is stingy against the run. We want to make sure we run the ball in favorable looks. If you’re a defense that wants to stop the run, you can commit enough guys to do it. We want to have options in our offense to attack what the defense is giving you. To win games, you have to run the ball late. It has been a focus for us,” Sheridan said.
Knowing that, Scott said he has been working hard during the offseason and spring on having a routine ready and preparing his body mentally and physically for the season.
“It started when I went back home. Me and my dad would get up every day to workout so when I came back to school, I could just try to keep the routine going and continue trying to be a better player,” Scott said. “If we can get everyone on the same page, it could be a very special year for us. I want everyone to be at their best when it is time to play.”
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