Poised For Another Big Year, Stevie Scott III Focuses on Being Aggressive
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Stevie Scott III is ready to get back to work Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle
Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Indiana running back Stevie Scott III will enter the 2020 season with 1,982 rushing yards over his first two seasons in Bloomington. Being 1,018 rushing yards from becoming just the eighth Hoosier in history is not too shabby for a player who might have ended up a linebacker had head coach Tom Allen had his way. But as with all great athletes there is a thirst for more.
Scott III missed the Hoosiers final two games including the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Tennessee and finished his junior season with 845 rushing yards, 1,056 total yards and 11 touchdowns, but there is always room for improvement and one way for Scott III to improve is by doing the things that make him hard to take off the field in certain situations.
“One thing he really worked on this past season was catching the ball as I was on him about it as a freshman” Indiana running backs coach Mike Hart said in a teleconference on Wednesday, “he's a guy that wants to be on the field every down. He wants to be a third down back. He wants to be the guy split out. So that's something he's taken and ran with in trying to get better at. I think everything can get better in this game.”
Scott III has his own goals as he enters his third year in Bloomington. He will be draft eligible at the end of the season and for a running back who has 406 career carries in his first two seasons, a big year could mean a jump to the next level early. But, there are still things he wants to accomplish in Bloomington.
He is “just working on trying to protect the QB and just run the ball” Scott said on Wednesday, “me just trying to be aggressive and trying to help the team make plays. Really just focusing on ourselves and building up that team chemistry that we need that will help us move forward.”
With an altered spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott III has “been doing a lot of core workouts. Trying to build that inner strength up. Weights are good and all but if you have that core strength, that's really powerful. That's your inner stuff. That's all muscle. That's all yourself. Really, just doing core strength and going to the field. Doing field work. Trying to get my footwork right. Just going over the little things. Just trying to better myself.”
Scott III turned 20 years old on Wednesday and when asked what he wanted to have accomplished on the field by the time he turns 21 he had a checklist ready.
“Get ranked again like we did last year” Scott III said bluntly, “it was tough not playing in the bowl game this year but definitely trying to get back to another bowl game next year. Obviously, us leading to a national championship. Anything's possible. Me and my guys, we can play with anybody in the nation. Really, just keep winning and just keep striving for greatness.”
The Hoosiers ranked 12th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, a number that didn’t sit well with anyone in the running back room. Hart said there are things that Scott III can do to improve that standing and his hopes at playing at the next level.
“Overall everything, like the YAC yards, making the safety miss, making the big plays, which he continues to work on” Hart said, “We emphasize it in practice with the drills we do. To get to where he wants to get to and be the player he wants to be, everything needs continue to develop. Hopefully he's doing that right now, we'll see when he gets back. He's a kid that I know loves football and wants to be a great player, play in the NFL one day. Just continue to work on the little things, reads, defensive scheme, where should the ball go, who's blocking who. Just develop his knowledge of the game.”
It is unclear when and if the 2020 season will begin, but the Hoosiers have a running back in Stevie Scott III who has tasted success and is hungry for more.