Texas State offensive assistant Lindsey Scott Jr. still maintains his love for football despite facing numerous hardships in his career.
In 2015, Scott was named the Gatorade Louisiana Football Player of the Year, an award given to the most outstanding high school prospect in the state. This recognition came after leading Zachary High School to a 5A State championship.
After committing to Louisiana State University his senior year, it looked like Scott was ready to lead the Purple and Gold. However, after the firing of Les Miles in 2016, new head coach Ed Orgeron had a different vision at the quarterback position. Scott decided it was best to transfer after redshirting his freshman season at LSU.
“I think it’s one of those things where you go into a situation where you are expecting everything to work out and it doesn’t,” Scott said. “I think that part of my life taught me about perseverance, and it also taught me how to find success in my failures.”
When Scott decided to leave LSU, the then NCAA rules in place did not allow transfers to have playing time unless they sat out for a year or had an approved waiver. However, this rule did not apply to junior colleges.
Scott decided his next move would be to East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi — the same school that was featured in the Netflix documentary “Last Chance U.”
“While I was there, I learned a lot about myself and the game of football,” Scott said. “It’s one of those things where if you don’t love football, you can’t play there because it is a very tough place to be.”
Scott said after throwing for 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns in one season, Scott found his love for the game again. He then transferred to the University of Missouri, but only played for one year before returning to Louisiana to play two seasons at FCS program Nicholls State.
Scott said he believed he would go pro after his final season at Nicholls State, but after receiving a medical redshirt, he was allowed to play for one more season of collegiate football. After meeting G.J. Kinne and his staff Scott decided he would transfer once again – this time to the University of the Incarnate Word.
“Coach Kinne and coach Leftwich hit me up one day while I was training in the spring, and they wanted me to come down for a visit,” Scott said. “After watching film with them for two hours… I knew it was a no-brainer.”
In his sole season at UIW, Scott put up historical numbers, throwing 59 touchdowns and leading the nation’s top-scoring offense that averaged over 51 points per game. Scott received the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top FCS player every season.
“It was my first time in college that I had a head coach who played quarterback, and an offensive coordinator who also played quarterback,” Scott said. “I wanted to give it a shot and felt like I had a lot more in the tank. It ended up being one of the best decisions for myself.”
With this kind of success, it was no surprise that when Kinne left UIW for Texas State, he hired Scott to his coaching staff. Kinne said he’s noticed the relationship that Scott has built with the quarterbacks.
“He’s just one of those guys who’s really talented and has the whole package,” Kinne said. “He has a bright future in coaching.”
With Scott being a former transfer quarterback and Texas State having three transfer quarterbacks on the roster, Scott said he has a great opportunity to offer insight and advice.
“I think the biggest thing is just the ability to empathize with them,” Scott said. “I’ve been in a position where I’ve come into a new offense and have to master it and play on Saturdays. I think I can put myself in their shoes and answer any questions they have and help them with their journey.”
Texas State redshirt junior quarterback Malik Hornsby, a transfer from the University of Arkansas, believes the addition of Scott has helped him in his transition into the Bobcat program.
“He brings leadership and confidence,” Hornsby said. “Right now, he’s helping us learn the offense, and he just played in the same offense. He is teaching us the ins and outs of it, which is helping me become a better player on the field and in the film room.”
According to Scott he acknowledges he has other options but is in no rush to leave football.
“I got my bachelor’s in computer science, but at the same time, I love football,” Scott said. “There are a lot of avenues I can explore. Being around football just makes me want to be a big-time offensive coordinator somewhere. I want to stick around as long as I can.”
