Years before Saint Louis alum Ben Scott became an established Pac-12 starter at Arizona State, the offensive lineman had just one Division I scholarship offer ahead of a crucial big-man competition in May 2018: Hawaii.
While such an opportunity may have sufficed for many other local athletes, Scott knew his ambitions stretched far beyond the islands.
Scott just needed to make it clear — to himself, and at least one Power 5 program — that he had what it took to make good on his ambitious plans.
Set in Los Angeles, the Jesse Sapolu Super Linemen Challenge allowed Scott to prove his ability on a bigger stage several months ahead of a breakout senior season.
James Hall, one of Saint Louis’ two offensive line coaches alongside Rob Crowell, said Scott clinched the team’s championship berth on a dominant rep — and never looked back.
“He stoned the kid and I think that’s where he took off,” Hall said. “He had that feeling. He had that taste in his mouth. He had that competition.”
A month later, Arizona State offered Scott a scholarship, validating his hopes to “leave the rock.”
Scott said Washington State jumped in the action at some point, but all he needed was one major opportunity.
He committed to the Sun Devils in August.
“I didn’t want to stay home and be comfortable in college,” Scott said.
Crowell, who coached Scott from his sophomore year, said the 6-foot-5, 290-pound youngster was itching to test his potential at a Power 5 program, especially amid buzz in the scouting community that his film was difficult to evaluate due to how often Saint Louis passed the ball.
“It was not only a desire of leaving to get off the rock to showcase his talents, but it was really trying to challenge himself to see if that’s the level of play that he can get to and play at,” Crowell said.
It’s always seemed to be a game of levels for Scott.
Once a gangly underclassman who“didn’t look the part,” according to Hall, Scott said his early years as a Crusader binded him to his greatest motivation: fear of inferiority.
“I just hate being not good enough,” Scott said.
Pitted against some of the best defensive linemen and edge rushers in the state, he was often outmatched from practice to practice.
“I was getting my butt whooped early on freshman, sophomore year, and I hated it so much,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘I just got to do something.’”
And so, unbeknownst to the outside world, he got to work.
“What he did when no one was looking was what propelled him,” Hall said. “He dedicated his time in the weight room. He worked (in the) offseason. He did it quietly.”
Gaining around 50 pounds between his sophomore and senior years, per Hall, Scott grew into a “Gentle Giant” after helping the Crusaders to a third straight state title as a second-year starter.
“He turned into a dog his senior year,” Hall said.
The cycle inevitably reset for him, though, upon arriving in Tempe as the Sun Devils’ second-lowest-graded signee in the 2019 class.
He “had to get good again.”
“Then I came (to ASU) and it was like back to square one again,” Scott said. “I wasn’t that good. So I had to get better and better.”
In a new environment, Scott acknowledged the culture shock he endured during his redshirt year as a true freshman. But even the new circumstances didn’t seem to scare him more than his fear of failure.
Shrugging off his status as a bottom-tier commit, Scott was the team’s only regular starter in 2020 among its 10 lowest-rated players from his class.
“It’s kind of addicting in a way,” Scott said. “In my mind, I can never be too good.”
Such a mentality has him beginning his third season on ASU’s front five — he again was a starter in ASU’s 40-3 win over Northern Arizona last Thursday — but also his first season with his family living nearby.
Four years removed from his decision to leave Hawaii, Scott now enjoys the greatest reminder of home following his family’s recent move to Mesa, Ariz., several weeks ago.
“We were going to move to the mainland, but we didn’t always know where we were going to move,” Scott’s mother, Renee, said. “But now, it’s like a no-brainer. We’re going to come here and watch him play.
“You can see all his hard work paid off.”
Ben Scott
Arizona State offensive line
>> Height: 6 feet 5
>> Weight: 310 pounds
>> Class: Junior
>> Major: Biological sciences (biomedical sciences)
>> High School: Saint Louis (2019)
>> Notable: Started in all 13 games at right tackle for ASU and played on 794 of the Sun Devils’ 808 offensive plays in the 2021 season. … His 83.0 run-blocking score was 28th among all offensive tackles in the FBS last season with at least 500 snaps played, according to thesundevils.com. … Had a negative grade on just 10.9 percent of his run-blocking plays last season, the sixth lowest in the Pac-12. … Played a pivotal role in ASU averaging 202.3 rushing yards per game during the regular season, ranking 24th in the FBS. … Started at right tackle all four games as a redshirt freshman in 2020. … Redshirted in 2019.
