Scott Lawrence Slutzker (born December 20, 1972) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round (82nd pick) of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played his college football at the University of Iowa from 1991 to 1995.
Biography
Growing up in
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Hasbrouck Heights (pronounced HAZ-brook /ˈhæz.bɹʊk/) is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,842,Hasbrouck Heights High School
Hasbrouck Heights High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hasbrouck Heights and Teterboro in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone high school o ...
, where he was a three-sport athlete, excelling at
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
as well as football. Slutzker was a first-team all-league selection in both baseball and basketball his senior year and was an
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n in football. His high school football statistics include: 1,572 career receiving yards on 102 receptions, 14 touchdowns on offense. On defense, Slutzker was a 3 year starter who recorded 171 tackles, 16 interceptions (4 for touchdowns) and 14 fumble recoveries. In his senior year in high school he also handled the team's punting, place kicking and punt returning duties. His high school football accolades include North Jersey's All-time college football team, two-time All-county tight end (
Bergen County
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.points (1,642) and record over 1,000
rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
(1,222) for his high school basketball team. As a baseball player, Slutzker was also a standout as a first baseman, having several professional tryouts in high school including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals. Slutzker is Jewish.
In his years at the University of Iowa, Slutzker redshirted as a freshman. He saw extensive time playing the next season on special teams in his first year of eligibility, earning his first of four letters in football. As a sophomore, he split time starting but had a breakout year competing at tight-end with 29 receptions for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns earning him All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. The 1994 season had Slutzker starting at tight end and was leading the Big Ten in receptions through 5 games including his Chevrolet Player of the Game performance versus then No. 7 Michigan on October 1, 1994 . Unfortunately, the ankle injury sustained in that game forced him to miss the next 2 games however he finished the season with another strong year totaling 27 receptions for 379 yards including 2 touchdowns in 9 games. He earned 3rd team All-Big Ten Honors for his efforts. In his senior year as a Hawkeye, 1995 brought another strong performance by Slutzker. His 8 reception, 167-yard game vs then No. 19 Penn State still stands as the best receiving performance vs Iowa. Slutzker's 39 receptions for 575 yards including 1 touchdown completed his best year of his collegiate career. His career totals of 95 receptions for 1,261 yards and 5 touchdowns place him 3rd on Iowa's all-time tight ends list. In his final season, he was selected to the 2nd team All-Big Ten as a tight end and All-American accolades in several publications. He also turned down multiple full scholarship offers from several schools to play football at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...
., most notably Notre Dame.
In the
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount ...
, he was selected in the 3rd round (82nd overall pick) by the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...
. The tight end position was crowded with considerable talent with 1995 second-round pick at tight end, Ken Dilger, who was a pro bowler in his rookie season and future pro bowl tight end Marcus Pollard also on the roster which relegated Slutzker to special teams and short yardage/goal-line situations. After being traded to the New Orleans Saints in 1998, Slutzker found himself in a similar situation behind second round pick and 1998 NFC pro bowl tight end Cam Cleeland. He played 41 games over four seasons in the NFL with the Colts and the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, and spent one preseason (2001) with the New York Jets.
Slutzker is the son of Sharon and Lawrence Slutzker. He has an older sister who was also a standout track athlete in high school and college. He is married with two children.