Clyde Luther Scott (August 29, 1924 – January 30, 2018) was an American athlete who played professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) and earned an Olympic medal in the 110 meter hurdles. He was born in Dixie, Louisiana.

Biography

Scott grew up in Smackover, Arkansas, and participated in both track and

at the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

and the US Naval Academy. He was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. He competed for the United States in the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

held in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

in the 110 meter hurdles where he won the silver medal. While at the University of Arkansas, he was initiated into the Xi chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Scott's nickname while at the University of Arkansas was "Smackover", after his hometown. Scott was a three-time All-SWC player at RB and DB, and an All-American in 1948. He helped Arkansas win the 1946

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference also included schools from Oklaho ...

championship, as well as leading the Razorbacks to their first-ever bowl victory, beating William & Mary 21–19 in the 1948 Dixie Bowl on January 1, 1948. Scott was also a track star at the UA, competing in the 100-yard dash and 110-meter hurdles. Scott was the eighth player overall chosen in the 1948 NFL draft. Scott played five seasons in the

for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

and the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, appearing on two NFL championship teams. Scott had a career game on October 6, 1951, against the 49ers when he caught two touchdown passes (3 catches for 85 yards), and had a 40-yard run in the Eagles 21–14 upset win. The Eagles finished 4–8–0. The 49ers, at 7–4–1, finished game behind the Conference Champion Rams. Scott was forced to retire in 1953 after suffering a knee injury. In 2014 Scott was inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame. The University of Arkansas retired Scott's football jersey number 12, one of only two numbers the school has ever retired (the other is number 77, retired in honor of Brandon Burlsworth). Scott died on January 30, 2018, at the age of 93. He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

References

1924 births 2018 deaths All-American college football players American male hurdlers Arkansas Razorbacks football players Arkansas Razorbacks men's track and field athletes Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics Detroit Lions players Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field People from Smackover, Arkansas Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Arkansas Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners College Football Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century American sportsmen {{collegefootball-player-stub