Scott attended East St. Louis Senior High School, where he practiced football, basketball and baseball. In football, he helped his school win a state championship, where he caught 6 passes for 116 yards. He was an All-state, league, city and metro selection. He was named to the Chicago Tribune Super 22 All-star team and was invited to play in the state high school All-star contest.
College career
Scott accepted a football scholarship from the University of Colorado during a low point in the school history, where his teams never had a winning record and he was usually recognized as the most talented player of the defense. He was a four-year starter at cornerback, that also excelled on special teams. As a junior, he led the team in interceptions with 4, including 2 returned for touchdowns. Against Oklahoma State University, he intercepted 3 passes, returning 2 for touchdowns of 30 and 25 yards. As senior, he had 4 interceptions, returning one for a 71-yard touchdown against Kansas State University. He was named All-Big Eight in 1982 and 1983. He received second-team All-American honors in 1983, and played in the Hula Bowl and the Senior Bowl. Scott set school career records with 3 interceptions returned for touchdowns and 24 passes defensed. He also had 10 interceptions, 4 blocked field goals and 4 blocked extra points. He received an honorable-mention for the Big Eight All-Decade team of the eighties.
Scott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he won the nickelback role and played on special teams. His diving, fourth-quarter interception in the eleventh game against the St. Louis Cardinals, set up the game's winning touchdown. The next season, he had a chance to start 3 games at right cornerback in place of an injured Ron Fellows. In the fifteenth game of the season against the New York Giants, he helped the Cowboys clinch the NFC East Championship when he intercepted a Phil Simms pass with 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. He also had 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 7 passes defensed and one forced fumble. In 1986, he was voted the special teams captain, but had an injury plagued season, playing in only 5 games after having early problems with a preseason hamstring injury and breaking his wrist in the fifth game against the Denver Broncos. He returned to play in the last game of the season. In 1987, he strained a chest muscle that limited him in the preseason. He played in only 6 games, after refusing to take a drug test and being placed on the reserve-non football illness list for personal reasons on October 29. In the final 3 games he made 9 tackles, defended 3 passes and recovered a fumble. In 1988, he only played in 2 games, after suffering an ankle injury and being placed on the injured reserve list. He also was suspended by the league for testing positive for Cocaine. In 1990, after being out of football for one year, the Cowboys gave him a chance to make the team, but he was released before the season started.
