USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - A year can make such a difference, just ask Darrell Scott.

Turn back the calendar to this time in 2010 and you'd find the Bulls' promising back-to-be leaving his mark on the practice field. Scott was redshirted and relegated to the scout team after transferring in from Colorado.

Yards didn't count in the stat books. Glory could not be chased. The only thing he could do was get himself in shape and prepare the players who were able to suit up for real.

"I tried my best to help the defense out. They would thank me after a really hard practice. I think I did my part last year on that," the junior said.

Head coach Skip Holtz noticed Scott's contributions and offered up a bit of a reward. Players usually jump at the opportunity to travel with the team for road games, but not this guy.

Scott thought it would be better if he stayed home, and it probably was a good idea for both parties.

"I was like, 'Coach, you don't want me to do that. I'll probably go on the field,' " Scott said.

That's where the frustration really set in.

It's extremely hard to take a football fiend out of the game and sit him on the couch on a Saturday. He just won't sit there and take it.

"I would watch like the first half and go scratch out my eyes," he said. "I would try to keep myself busy."

That hunger for competition grew and grew with each week, which was really tough for a guy that loves challenges maybe a little too much.

One of Scott's past injuries threatened his performance during a season, and it wasn't even from a football-related action.

As an incoming high school senior in California, Scott took friendly games of air hockey a little too far. There he was at a family style restaurant in the game room for three hours hunched over and wailing away at the table.

Countless challengers stepped up and Scott kept winning, but it took its toll on his body.

"I thought I wasn't going to play any games. I was like, 'My back is jacked up,' " he said.

Still, the competitive fire burning inside him was greater than the soreness of his back and Scott played through the pain. All-American honors followed after he rushed for 2,433 yards and 33 touchdowns in a senior year that made him one of the most sought after running backs in the country.

Two years at Colorado followed and Scott was looking for a change. His cousin Glen Davis, a former USF player, was a graduate assistant with the Bulls at the time and got the recruiting process going with Holtz's new staff.

USF offensive coordinator Todd Fitch remembers watching what Scott had to offer on film.

"He was about as good as I've seen in high school," Fitch said.

Scott also debated UCLA and took an official visit to Cincinnati, but having family close by in Tampa and St. Petersburg helped to seal the deal with USF.

"I'm very, very happy with my decision," Scott said.

USF fans have started to get a glimpse of what Scott can do now that he's finally able to get on the field.

He got 12 carries in a win over Notre Dame that allowed him to knock off the rust and started to really make an impact last week when he rushed for a game-high 82 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder even mixed a little comedy into his performance. He hurdled one player in the open field, but didn't have the same luck during another leap.

"Last game kind of reminded me of high school with all the hurdling and stuff," he said. "I need to get that out of my mind and try to lower my shoulder a little bit more. That won't be a problem."

Fitch is confident it will all come together for Scott, who gives USF a great one-two punch with fellow back Demetris Murray.

"I think as long as he stays healthy and stays on track, every week we'll see him be a little bit more productive and a little bit more natural out there," Fitch said.

These things take time and Scott is really glad his snaps on the scout team are becoming distant memories.

"From last year to this year, it's crazy," he said. "First thing I'm on scout team and I'm like, 'God I need to get on the field.' Now I'm finally on the field and everything is falling into place."