Monday, April 09, 2007

Philly native fuels Soul

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine

Philadelphia, PA - Local kid makes good.

It’s an old story but it never gets old.

And Philadelphia’s own Sean Scott is proving that for the Soul.

Scott is like almost a Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce ad. He played basketball against Kobe Bryant in high school and lists his favorite food as a Philly cheese steak. He still lives in the City and even works for the local CW affiliate in the offseason.

And like most football players, the Archbishop Carroll High and Millersville graduate originally set his sights on the NFL.

You can probably guess where he signed as a rookie free agent in 2001 – the Eagles.

Hardcore Birds fans might even remember Scott making the game winning catch in the team’s 2001 preseason finale verus the New York Jets, a 14-yard reception from A.J. Feeley.

He made enough of an impression on the Eagles brass to spend the 2001 regular season on the practice squad. Scott continued to be on the Eagles’ radar in 2002-2003 and was eventually allocated to the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe.

But, it’s a long way from Millersville to the NFL, even for a guy who was named All-PSAC four times and set University records for receptions (240), receiving yards (3,293) and touchdowns (27).

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Scott just didn’t have the long speed to be a consistent threat in the NFL but, like Philadelphia, the smaller field in the AFL was a perfect fit. A place where he could utilize his size, quickness and strength on both sides of the ball.

He made the Soul after participating in an open tryout before the team’s inaugural season in 2004 and is now one of just two players who have been with the team since the inception.

A proven two-way performer in the AFL, Scott has been the Soul’s top playmaker hauling in 238 receptions for 2,879 yards and 60 touchdowns in three-plus seasons.

And now he’s ready to complete the story and give Philadelphia what it wants most - a championship.

A 57-49 loss to the Georgia Force, one of the AFL’s best teams, was just a bump in the road.
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John McMullen can be reached at jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

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