Blue White Illustrated

A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 In high school, Nick Scott was a do-it- all type of player. He played both line- backer and free safety for Fairfax (Va.) High on defense, and on offense he also starred at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. As a senior, he surpassed 1,500 rushing yards, caught 11 passes and threw for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns. Although he was a crit- ical defensive compo- nent, he identified himself more as an offensive athlete. Now, that's changing. Entering his redshirt junior season at Penn State, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Scott is finding his place on the defensive side of the ball. AAer beginning his ca- reer at running back, he made the switch to safety last spring and played mostly special teams during the season as he ad- justed to the new position. One year later, with his junior year on the horizon, he's readying himself for a larger role. "I actually joke around with a lot of people [about] when I moved to defense, it didn't take too long to realize that, hey, maybe I've been a defensive guy my whole tenure as a football player," Scott said. "I just didn't know because I was athletic. You get away with athleticism in high school. … Once I moved to defense I felt, hey, this is probably actually where my home is, especially considering how reckless I like to play and how aggressive I am and my ball skills." Scott's athletic prerequisites were never in question. But his first season was more about delving into coordinator Brent Pry's playbook and learning the technique and intricacies that go along with playing defensive back, compared to when he was on offense. Asked about a major improvement that he's made in his game since last season, Scott replied, "My defensive IQ as a whole." "I'm more comfortable as a defensive player," he added. "I identify myself as a defensive player and not someone who is trying to become that, so yeah, I think I've seen the biggest growth in just my understanding of the game and knowing what to do in terms of checks and every- thing like that based on what the offense gives us. I'm just a lot more comfortable. The physical part of it, that's something that I've always felt that I have an advan- tage with because of my athleticism. So I was never really worried about transi- tioning my body into a DB's body. The intellect of the game is something that I'm really proud of in my growth. I'm looking to keep growing from this point." It's something that Scott began in earnest once Penn State arrived home from the Rose Bowl in January. He had finished the season with just eight tack- les, all of which came on special teams, and he was eager to make a greater im- pact. With Malik Golden, one of his mentors and the team's starter at strong safety last season, having graduated, Scott rec- ognized that he had an opportunity to play an expanded role. So he got to work. He joined up with returning free safety starter Marcus Allen, and before long they were in the film room as oAen as BLUE-WHITE WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FRIDAY, APRIL 21 All-Sports Museum open to public............ Beaver Stadium........................................... 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Women's tennis vs. Purdue.......................... Tennis Center...............................................................4 p.m. Softball vs. Rutgers........................................Nittany Lion Softball Park........................................6 p.m. Baseball vs. Northwestern........................... Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.................................. 6 p.m. SATURDAY, APRIL 22 Parking lots open............................................Beaver Stadium.......................................................... 8 a.m. Fan Fest............................................................ Curtin Road................................................................ 10 a.m. My Hero Zero performs at Fan Fest........... Curtin Road................................................................... 1 a.m. Team bus arrival............................................. Curtin and Porter roads...................................... 11:30 a.m. Player autograph session............................. Gates A, B, C, E, F.........................................12:15-1:05 p.m. Gates A, B, C & E open................................... Beaver Stadium..................................................... 1:30 p.m. Blue-White Game kickoff............................. Beaver Stadium.......................................................... 3 p.m. Softball vs. Rutgers........................................Nittany Lion Softball Park........................................5 p.m. Baseball vs. Northwestern........................... Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.................................. 6 p.m. Glee Club Blue & White concert..................Eisenhower Auditorium...................................... 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY, APRIL 23 All-Sports Museum open............................. Beaver Stadium........................................... 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Women's tennis vs. Indiana......................... Tennis Center.............................................................. 11 a.m. Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run.........Medlar Field (registration)/Beaver Stadium...... 11 a.m. Softball vs. Rutgers........................................Nittany Lion Softball Park.........................................1 p.m. Baseball vs. Northwestern........................... Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.................................. 2 p.m. Men's lacrosse vs. Rutgers........................... Penn State Lacrosse Field........................................ 7 p.m. NICK OF TIME As he prepares for his junior year, Nick Scott is eager to make a bigger impact T I M   O W E N   | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M SCOTT

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