As if the transition from the junior college level wasn’t challenging enough, Idaho wide receiver Mike Scott has taken his Division I career to the next level, and last week became the most recent addition to the 2011 Biletnikoff Award watch list.
A transfer from Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, Calif., Scott continues to exhibit his value to this year’s Vandal team and the receiving corps in general.
Four games into the season, Scott leads the team with 26 receptions and 328 receiving yards. The junior’s 12.6 yards per reception is second behind Armauni Johnson and he has tallied one touchdown reception.
The nomination was initially unnoticed by Scott, whose mother informed him.
“My mom sent me a text and said congratulations for being on the list and I read the name (Biletnikoff) and I was like maybe it’s a typo and she didn’t know what she was talking about and then one of the fans came up to me after the game and congratulated me,” Scott said.
One of the most prestigious nominations a player can receive, the Biletnikoff Award is given to the nation’s top receiver at the end of every season. This year’s watch list includes 2010 Biletnikoff winner and Heisman Trophy candidate Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State, Robert Woods of USC and Jermaine Kearse of Washington.
Scott is No. 19 in the FBS and second among WAC players for total receptions. The Palo Alto, Calif., native is one of three WAC players on this year’s watch list.
Receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Luther Carr knew Scott could be a lethal weapon at the Division I level right off the bat.
“Playmaker,” he said. “He makes plays, catches the ball well, tough, physical, runs well after the catch, things like that. We want to recruit guys that we think can start, we don’t recruit guys just to be back-ups so our expectations for him were to come in here and compete for a position and he’s done that.”
Before Idaho, New Mexico State was the only Division I program recruiting Scott and was willing to offer him a walk-on spot. A flight to Las Cruces, N.M., had been scheduled and Scott was prepared to finalize things with the Aggies when Idaho called him. After a stressful day and a half, Scott called NMSU to inform them he would be competing against them in the fall wearing black and gold.
Although Scott’s competition at Foothill College doesn’t match up with what he’s seen and will see from programs like Texas A&M and Virginia, he had the opportunity to play with and compete against a variety of players who were recruited to play Division I football. Six of Scott’s 2010-2011 teammates signed letters of intent to play for FBS programs, including Boise State, Oregon State, Utah State and San Jose State.
“My JC was really good and my conference was really good so obviously that was good preparation going against those players in practice and games,” Scott said. “We helped each other because we knew where we stood and where we could be at the next level, so we just fed off of each other and got each other better.”
With only two months of Division I football under his belt, adapting to the changes has come natural to Scott. In addition, he’s built strong relationships with his teammates and especially quarterback Brian Reader.
At Palo Alto High, Scott faced off against Reader’s Palma High School (Salinas) in the Central Coast Section semifinals. Palo Alto came out on top of a 41-38 quadruple overtime thriller.
Scott said tension arose when the two first met.
“There was a little bit of animosity at first when we found out who we were,” Scott said. “Then again it was all love and it feels good to be on the same team as the guy who I went up against in high school.”
Biletnikoff or not, Carr says Scott’s role on and off the field is instrumental to the team’s success and well-being.
“He’s a character, he keeps everybody loose, you’ll hear him on the football field keeping everyone loose so that’s a good quality,” Carr said. “He’s always smiling and he practices hard so that’s a good deal.”