Thomas Lee Frederick Scott (June 25, 1970 – October 8, 2015) was an American former 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 ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

who played one season with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

of the

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(NFL). He was selected by the Bengals in the sixth round of the

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after playing

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East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

Early life

Thomas Lee Frederick Scott was born on June 25, 1970, in

Burke County, North Carolina Burke County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the state's western mountain region, containing sections of the Blue Ridge Mountains including the Linville Gorge and South Mountains. As of the 2020 census, its po ...

. He weighed 280 pounds in eighth grade. He attended Union High School in

Clinton, North Carolina Clinton ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,383. Clinton is named for Richard Clinton (politician), Richard Clinton, a ...

, and graduated in 1988.

College career

Scott was a four-year

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for the

East Carolina Pirates The East Carolina Pirates are the sport, athletic teams that represent East Carolina University (ECU), located in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams participate at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA ...

(ECU) from 1989 to 1992. He played in 42 games, starting 33, during his college career and earned first-team All-South Independent honors twice. He was an

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honorable mention

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

his junior year in 1991. As a senior in 1992, Scott was named a first-team All-American by both the ''Football News'' and ''The Sporting News''. He weighed about 332 pounds as a junior and 374 pounds as a senior. He played in the

East-West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

and the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

after his senior year. In 2013, he garnered first-team recognition on ECU's All-Time Offensive Team.

Professional career

Scott was selected by the

in the sixth round, with the 148th overall pick, of the

. He officially signed with the team on July 19. He weighed about 360 pounds in mid July 1993 but got down to 330 pounds for the regular season. He played in 13 games, all starts, for the Bengals during his rookie year in 1993 and recovered two fumbles. Cincinnati finished the season with a 3–13 record. Scott's weight ballooned to 409 pounds after the 1993 season. The Bengals sent Scott to

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

to work out with trainer Mike Spotts. However, Scott only managed to get his weight down to 381 pounds. As a result, he was released on July 15, 1994.

Personal life

Scott was the offensive line coach at James Kenan High School in

Warsaw, North Carolina Warsaw is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,733. History The Warsaw Historic District and Joshua James Blanchard House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Geo ...

for 12 years. He died on October 8, 2015, at Moses Cone Hospital in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Tom 1970 births 2015 deaths Players of American football from North Carolina American football offensive linemen East Carolina Pirates football players Cincinnati Bengals players People from Burke County, North Carolina 20th-century American sportsmen High school football coaches in North Carolina Coaches of American football from North Carolina