Daniel Scott: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Files

After six years in college and waiting for his shot, Indianapolis Colts rookie Daniel Scott finally gets his opportunity to play in the NFL.

Andrew Moore | Jul 14, 2023

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We live in a world today where many of the best prospects in their respective sports jump to the pros as quickly as they can.

The "one-and-done" trend in college basketball has been around since the mid-2000s. The best college football players typically leave for the NFL after their third year of college eligibility.

Some players still spend four, and even five, years on a college football team before they enter the NFL draft. But a player with six seasons under his belt is almost unheard of.

This is "Rookie Files," a series on Horseshoe Huddle that gives you the backstory of every rookie for the Indianapolis Colts. Going player by player, we look at their journeys to the NFL and what makes each unique while also detailing how they help the Colts. Next up, Daniel Scott, who, after six years with the California Golden Bears, is finally getting his shot in the NFL.

A Two-Way Star

Scott was born on October 26, 1998, in Pasadena, Calif., to Duane and Janet Scott. Duane had a history with football, playing collegiately and even attending a few NFL tryouts. Unfortunately, a knee injury ended Duane's chances at an NFL career.

Scott showed athletic potential from a very young age. With his older brother, Chris, Scott played flag football, basketball, baseball, and even surfed growing up on the California coast. It was not until fifth grade that Scott began playing tackle football.

As Scott began his tackle football journey, he played on both sides of the ball. He wanted to be like his favorite player Wes Welker, the former wide receiver of the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos. While he played wide receiver on offense, Scott had a knack for the safety position on defense.

His parents enrolled Scott at St. Francis High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Pasadena. Scott was elevated to varsity as a sophomore and continued to play wide receiver and safety. He started at both positions and hardly ever came off the field.

Scott had a solid junior campaign with 47 tackles and two interceptions on defense. As a wide receiver, he finished with 32 receptions for 567 yards and four touchdowns. However, Scott had not received any offers heading into his senior season.

But Scott put himself on the map during his senior season. Voted a team captain, he racked up 70 tackles, four tackles for loss, and five interceptions. Scott also led the team in receiving with 41 catches for 688 yards and ten touchdowns. Add a rushing touchdown and a punt return touchdown, and Scott proved to be a true two-way star.

His productive senior season earned him Angelus League Defensive Player of the Year, Pasadena Sports Now All-Purpose Player of the Year, and first-team all-conference. The awards came quickly, but the offers still did not.

It was not until the middle of his senior season that Scott, a three-star recruit, received his first Division I offers. Fresno State and Hawaii came calling, and Scott was prepared to go to the Bulldogs. That was until California defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander came to one of Scott's basketball games and extended an offer to play for the Golden Bears.

Scott finally decided to stay close to home and continue his football career at Cal. It was a long process for the right offer to come, and it taught Scott a lesson he would need throughout his college career.

“You don’t ever know when your time is going to come," Scott told The Daily Californian. "But you’ve always got to be prepared.”

Staying Patient

Coming into California as only a three-star recruit, Scott would have an uphill battle to make an impact early on in his college career. Little did he know how long it would actually take.

Switching to safety full-time, Scott redshirted his freshman year at Cal and did not see the field. He finally saw the field as a redshirt freshman in ten games but played sparingly in those contests. Scott was mostly a special teams player and only recorded four tackles.

2019 saw a little more production out of Scott, but not what the safety had wanted. He only recorded one start in 11 games, tallying 16 tackles and his first career interception. Scott was becoming a standout on special teams, earning the J. Scott Duncan Award given to Cal's most valuable special teams player.

As Scott entered his redshirt junior season, his fourth with the team, 2020 was the first season where he would have a real opportunity to start for the Golden Bears. But the pandemic limited Cal's season to only four games. Scott started three of those contests, registering 20 tackles and a pass deflection.

After three playing seasons and 25 games, Scott had only 40 tackles total. Some of Scott's teammates in his recruiting class had already left the Golden Bears and were in the NFL. Meanwhile, Scott was still fighting for his opportunity.

The transfer portal has made player movement in college football more prevalent than ever. If players are not getting the right opportunity, they can enter the portal and go to a different school. Scott could have done that but decided to stick it out at Cal.

“I just think we had a good thing going, especially defensively at Cal," Scott admitted. "Had some great coaches, defensive backs coaches, defensive coordinator, even the head coach was defensive oriented. It was one of those things where the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I thought we had a good thing rolling there. I also knew the more opportunity I had, the more tape I could show, I would kind of showcase my abilities. So, decided to come back for another fifth and sixth year and I think we made the most of it.”

Scott wanted to make his mark at Cal. He had stayed patient, continuing to work on his game and waiting for his opportunity. His patience was about to be rewarded.

Getting His Shot

As a redshirt senior in his fifth season with the team, Scott would not be denied. He earned the starting job at safety, and with the pandemic in the background, he would have a full season to show he belonged.

Scott proved he was here to stay. He started all 12 games on the way to career highs in all categories. Scott had 82 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and a team-leading three interceptions. He even returned one interception for his first collegiate touchdown.

Now after a career year in his fifth season at Cal, Scott could have decided to chase his NFL dream. But with only one season of production, Scott was only seen as a fringe NFL prospect. He decided to use the extra year of eligibility afforded to him from the pandemic and returned to Cal to improve his resume.

Scott made the right choice. Voted a team captain, Scott started all 12 games for Cal once again, leading to 85 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and leading the team with three interceptions. He was also named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12.

After persevering and waiting for his opportunity, Scott was ready to chase after his NFL dream. He was invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl, where he showed he could stick with some of the best prospects in the draft. But where he shined was at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Scott was able to show off the athleticism he was known for ever since he was a kid in Pasadena. His 4.45 40-yard dash was the second-fastest time of any safety at the event. Scott also ran a 6.75-second three-cone drill and a 4.17-second short shuttle, both the fastest among all safeties. He impressed teams throughout the pre-draft process, and now it was just a matter of which franchise would take a chance on him.

That team turned out to be the Colts. With the No.158 pick in the fifth round, the Colts selected Scott, making his NFL dreams come true.

How Scott Helps the Colts

Scott was poised to have a chance to contribute right away as a rookie for the Colts. Unfortunately, Scott suffered a torn ACL during OTAs and will miss the entire 2023 season. He is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready for the 2024 season.

When Scott finally does see the field for the Colts, expect to see another high-level athlete. He has solid size and speed for the position, allowing him to be a rangy safety in the backend. He shows good awareness of locating the ball and is not afraid to go after an interception. The Colts were impressed with his ability to take away the football.

Scott will likely have a big role on special teams as well. He registered 661 special teams snaps in college, giving him core special teams ability that the Colts value. Playing special teams will allow Scott to have an impact on the field even if he is not a starter.

“(Special teams is) very serious," Scott said after he was drafted. "I definitely think it’s – I mean, it’s a third of the game I think. We definitely valued it at Cal. ... I also knew that’s how I got my opportunity at Cal and that’s probably how I’m going to get my opportunity with the Colts. So, just knowing that value and it being of value to the team is important."

While Scott will not be on the field for the Colts this season, the rookie is used to waiting for his opportunity. The grind of six college seasons and fighting for his shot has prepared him to do the same in the NFL.

We may have to wait another season but do not be surprised to see Scott making plays on the field in 2024. All he needs is an opportunity.

More Rookie Files

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Published Jul 14, 2023

ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.