Eric Scott Jr. Bio
Eric Scott Jr. (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and entered the NFL after being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. After a brief stint with the Cowboys, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs, where he has continued his professional career through practice-squad and reserve contracts.
Early Life and Background
Eric Scott Jr. was born on August 7, 1998, in Basehor, Kansas, a small community located northeast of Kansas City. He grew up in the same area where he would later attend high school, developing into a multi-sport athlete with a clear interest in football from an early age. His hometown of Basehor would later become a frequent reference point in his athletic journey, given the modest size of the town and the strong local following of its high school teams.
Scott attended Basehor-Linwood High School, where he played cornerback for the Bobcats. Across his high school career, he appeared in 33 games, recording 126 tackles with 5 tackles for loss, 9 interceptions, and 13 passes defensed. Those numbers reflected a player with a natural feel for coverage and a willingness to come up and support against the run, traits that would later shape his reputation at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
Coming out of Basehor-Linwood, Scott accepted a football scholarship from Illinois State University, where he joined the Redbirds program. As a redshirt freshman, he saw limited action, appearing in just four games as a backup while adjusting to the speed and complexity of Division I college football. That season gave him a foundation, but it also hinted that his development would require additional opportunities elsewhere.
In 2019, Scott transferred to Butler Community College, a well-known junior college program in Kansas. As a sophomore, he appeared in 11 games and posted 11 tackles along with 2 interceptions, showing steady improvement and reaffirming his status as a Division I prospect. The following year, he transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi to play for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, where he would spend the rest of his college career.
Eric Scott Jr. Career
Early Career (2020–2022)
At Southern Miss, Scott continued to develop as a cornerback across three seasons. As a junior in 2020, he appeared in 9 games with 5 starts, collecting 31 tackles, 1 interception, and 5 passes defensed. He also delivered some of his most physical performances of the year, including 8 tackles against Louisiana Tech University and 7 tackles against Tulane University, performances that helped establish his reputation as a reliable tackler in the secondary.
As a senior in 2021, Scott appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts, posting 20 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries. In 2022, he returned as a super senior and appeared in 12 games, compiling 27 tackles with 2 for loss, 7 passes defended, and 2 interceptions that were both returned for touchdowns. His production, versatility, and experience across multiple levels made him an appealing late-round NFL prospect.
NFL Breakthrough (2023)
Eric Scott Jr. was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round, 178th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys acquired that pick by trading a 2024 fifth-round selection, number 159 overall (Hunter Nourzad), to the Kansas City Chiefs. As a rookie, however, Scott was declared inactive for every game of the season and did not see the field, a common experience for late-round cornerbacks adjusting to professional-level competition and depth charts.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2024–Present)
In 2024, Scott was passed on the Cowboys’ depth chart by rookie Caelen Carson and third-year player Andrew Booth Jr. during training camp. He was waived by the Cowboys on August 26, 2024, ending his time in Dallas. Two days later, on August 28, 2024, he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs, before being waived again and re-signed to Kansas City’s practice squad on September 3, 2024.
Scott signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs on February 11, 2025, signaling that the organization remained interested in his long-term development. On August 1, 2025, he was waived by the Chiefs with an injury designation, a procedural step that allowed Kansas City to retain flexibility regarding his roster status and recovery.
Driving Style and Strengths
Scott’s game is built on tackling reliability, route recognition, and ball production in coverage. Across his college stops, he showed a consistent ability to make plays on the football, including 9 interceptions in high school and additional interceptions at Butler Community College and Southern Miss, with two of his senior-season picks returned for touchdowns. His experience at multiple programs gave him exposure to varied defensive schemes, a quality that has helped him remain on NFL rosters as a developmental cornerback.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most memorable moments of Scott’s career came during the 2022 season at Southern Miss, when he recorded two interceptions in the same year that he returned both for touchdowns, a rare scoring feat for a cornerback. He was also part of the trade sequence between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs that allowed Dallas to move up and select him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Eric Scott Jr. Career Wins
As a defensive player, Eric Scott Jr.’s on-field achievements are measured less in traditional wins and more in statistical production and roster milestones. His progression from a multi-program college path to NFL draft pick and active professional cornerback represents the most consistent theme of his career so far.
Southern Miss Highlights
At Southern Miss, Scott appeared in 33 total games across the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, racking up 78 tackles, 5 interceptions, multiple fumble recoveries, and several passes defended. He started in 28 of those games and produced scoring plays on defense through interception returns, capping his college career as one of the more experienced cornerbacks in the Southern Miss secondary.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Scott posted 9 interceptions and 13 passes defensed across 33 high school games at Basehor-Linwood, then added 2 interceptions in 11 games at Butler Community College. Those performances helped him earn his first Division I scholarship at Illinois State and, eventually, a place on an NFL roster.
Eric Scott Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available details about Eric Scott Jr.’s immediate family remain limited. He grew up in Basehor, Kansas, and attended Basehor-Linwood High School, where his football development took shape. The “Jr.” suffix in his name suggests a direct family naming connection, though specific details about his father or other relatives are not widely documented.
Personal Life
Eric Scott Jr. is an American citizen who has spent most of his life connected to the Kansas and broader Midwest region, from his hometown of Basehor to Butler Community College and the Kansas City Chiefs. Information about a spouse, children, or long-term residence is not publicly confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Eric Scott Jr. signed a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on February 11, 2025, positioning him to compete for a depth role in the secondary during the 2025 offseason. That contract reflected the Chiefs’ continued evaluation of his skill set and his ability to contribute on special teams or in sub-package defensive situations. It also gave him a clearer path to offseason training and preseason opportunities.
On August 1, 2025, Scott was waived by the Chiefs with an injury designation, a development that shaped the early part of his 2025 storyline. An injury designation typically allows a player to return once healthy and gives the team roster flexibility in the meantime, leaving the door open for a return to Kansas City or another NFL opportunity later in the year.
Looking ahead, Scott’s 2025 outlook depends heavily on his recovery timeline and the willingness of NFL teams to add a 6-foot-1, 197-pound cornerback with NFL draft experience and multiple seasons of college starting experience. His mix of size, special-teams value, and developmental upside should keep him on the radar of teams looking for depth in the secondary for the remainder of the year.