Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Boston Scott has made a name for himself on and off the field at every level of play. After graduating from Zachary High School in Louisiana, Scott decided to walk-on to the football team at Louisiana Tech University. As a member of the Bulldogs, Scott worked his way into the depth chart, being named Honorable Mention on the 2017 All-Conference USA Football Team.
After his Redshirt Senior season, Scott was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 6th Round (201st Overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. After spending most of the 2018 season on the Saints’ Practice Squad, Scott signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his time in Philadelphia, Scott has served as a key change-of-pace running back in the Eagles’ rushing attack. This past season, Scott set career-highs in rushing touchdowns (7) and rushing attempts (87).
Fascinatingly, Scott is not only a professional in just football, he is also a professional eSports athlete, competing for Dignitas on their Rocket League Team.
Now in his fifth season with the Eagles, Boston sat down to discuss how he got into football growing up, what he sees his life looking like after football and his interest in sports medicine and brain health, which is why, starting this season, Scott is wearing the Q-Collar:
What did you enjoy most about football growing up?
“I grew up as a big New Orleans Saints fan. As a kid, we were pretty good. I grew up watching a lot of Pierre Thomas, Deuce McAllister Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles. My dad played Running Back in college at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and my brother played both Wide Receiver and Running Back so it’s always kind of been in the family. When I was young, I vividly remember watching a Stanford football game and seeing their running back make a bunch of crazy plays that game. At that point, I kind of decided that I wanted to play Running Back and do what he’s doing. Barry Sanders is my favorite running back though. I would go over to my dad’s house and the first thing he would make me do when I got there was watch Barry Sanders’ highlights. We watched a lot of him.”
How would you describe your playing style?
“I would describe myself as versatile. I can definitely run between the tackles. I pride myself on running the ball hard and being a good blocker in pass protection. I think I can also catch the ball well out of the backfield too. I would say I’m an aggressive, physical and ‘twitchy’-type player.”
What’s your pregame routine like?
“More than anything, I just try to be at peace with myself before games. I try to stay as calm as I can beforehand because whenever I step out of that tunnel, it just becomes different. It’s hard to explain. It’s not just emotion that’s heightened in a game, it’s your intensity too. Emotion comes in waves over the course of a game, but my intensity stays consistent throughout it. To do this, before the game, I’ll listen to music that’s somewhat calming. I need to find a balance between calming, but not too calming, which is why I like listening to J-Cole before games. I’m a huge J-Cole fan.”
What’s your favorite pre-game meal?
“I love to have some pasta before I play. In our team facility’s dining hall, they make it to order so I’ll have some pasta with white sauce and some shrimp. I like to do a little bit of a carbo-load.”
What are the physical attributes that are needed to excel in football?
“The beauty of football, more specifically the running back position, is that there are so many different skills needed to be successful. You have guys that are physical runners, you have guys that are pure runners and you have running backs who are good pass catchers. I just feel like the more than you can do, the better off you are. That’s what I strive to be.”
You have a personal interest in brain trauma, can you explain to us a little about that?
“It first started in my final year of college. We had to do a project for my technical writing class, and I decided to do a study on concussions. I was able to see the statistics as to who is most likely to be affected by head injuries, which is youth athletes. I also learned about the long-term complications that come with concussions and the accumulation of repetitive sub-concussive impacts. I also watched the movie ‘Concussion,’ which I’d absolutely recommend. I just think there needs to be a lot more awareness around how severe of an impact a brain injury can have on an athlete.”
By wearing the Q-Collar, do you see yourself as setting a positive example for youth athletes?
“Absolutely. To be honest, if I was in charge, I’d be mandating that all youth athletes in contact sports wear a Q-Collar. I say this because it’s just so hard to teach younger players not only the fundamentals, but to make sure that they don’t move away from those fundamentals in the game. Getting outside of those fundamentals can lead to a higher risk of injury. Because of this, I’d recommend wearing the Q-Collar from as early of an age as possible.”
How have you been feeling wearing the Q-Collar?
“I’ve been feeling great! It just took me two or three days to get used to wearing the Q-Collar. From there, I can’t even really tell that it’s on whenever I’m wearing it. I wear it both in the game and at practice just so I can have peace of mind. I’m still going to play fundamentally sound, but I won’t have to be as worried about being hit on the field. I recently had a concussion, so I’m paying even better attention to protecting my brain now.”
Has anyone else around the league asked you about the Q-Collar?
“Everyone’s been asking me about the Q-Collars, both coaches and players. They’ve all asked what it is and the science behind the Q-Collar. It’s been pretty cool to be the one to teach them about the Q-Collar.”
Do you see yourself as a leader in the movement amongst NFL players to take action to protect their brains?
“Absolutely. I want to be a leader in preventing what’s plagued the NFL by being a front-runner in trying things out that can help players in the long-term. I just feel that whatever I can do to help put guys that are coming behind me in a better position than the guys who came before me, I’m all about that.”
What do you see your life looking life after football?
“I want to stay around sports for sure. I think that there are a lot of different avenues I can take to do that. My Bachelor’s Degree is in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, so I can definitely see myself being involved with sports in some fashion related to that. Injuries are really interesting to me. Preventative medicine is something I’m really passionate about. I can also see myself in a coaching role. I like video games too, so I can also see myself doing something pertaining to that.”
To hear more from Boston, check out this video.
