As he entered the media interview room at Sun Life Stadium this spring, Rashawn Scott was surrounded by the Miami Hurricanes press corps. A few months earlier, Scott never could have imagined he’d get this much attention.
Not after he caught just one pass in the 2011 season.
Not after he missed the final six games with a broken collarbone and finger.
But attention is what you get when you put up the best stats by a wide receiver in the spring and are named the most improved offensive player.
“It was a great spring,” Scott said. “A lot of things happened.”
Scott caught five passes for 115 yards and one touchdown in the team’s first scrimmage and followed that with six catches for 75 yards and a score in the next.
“It was just like high school,” he said.
As a senior at Melbourne Central High in 2010, Scott accounted for 31 touchdowns as well as 2,355 yards rushing, passing and receiving. He also had three interceptions and returned two fumbles for touchdowns.
Those instincts didn’t come through last fall because Scott said he didn’t know the plays. Then came the injuries.
But the light has come on now.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Rashawn,” offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said.
Quarterback Stephen Morris said Scott’s elusiveness caught his attention. Morris’ backup, Ryan Williams, called him the team’s big-play receiver of the spring while coach Al Golden added, “He’s a young kid; I think he’s learned a lot. He had a great offseason, a great spring and we need to carry that momentum into the summer.”
Fisch said the team will depend on Scott to have a tremendous season because the Hurricanes will be without Tommy Streeter and Travis Benjamin, who combined for 87 catches, 1,420 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2011.
Before the third scrimmage, Scott said he wanted to finish on a strong note and didn’t want to go backwards. But he dropped one pass in the end zone when he said he short-armed the ball. Another miss led to an interception.
On a catch he did make — a 36-yard play — he fumbled it away in the open field.
Scott finished with four catches for 74 yards, again a team high. However, he was far from satisfied.
“I can’t say I’m happy; I still gotta get going,” he said. “There’s a lot to accomplish.”