Eric Scott Jr. Bio
Eric Scott Jr. (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional football cornerback currently playing in the National Football League. He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and entered the league after being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. After a brief stint in Dallas, he was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he continues his professional career.
Early Life and Background
Eric Scott Jr. was born on August 7, 1998, in Basehor, Kansas, in the United States. He grew up in the Basehor community and attended Basehor-Linwood High School, where he first established himself as a defensive back prospect. Standing at 185 centimeters and playing at 89 kilograms, he developed the frame and physical profile of a modern NFL cornerback during his teenage years.
During his high school career at Basehor-Linwood, Scott appeared in 33 games and built an impressive defensive résumé. He recorded 126 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, while also adding 9 interceptions and 13 passes defensed. Those numbers reflected his ball skills and tackling willingness, both qualities that scouts would later value as he transitioned to the college level.
Path to American Football
Scott accepted a football scholarship from Illinois State University, beginning his collegiate journey in the Football Championship Subdivision. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in four games primarily as a backup, using the season to adjust to the speed and complexity of college football. The experience gave him a foundation, but he soon sought a larger opportunity to showcase his abilities.
In 2019, Scott transferred to Butler Community College, where he played as a sophomore and appeared in 11 games, recording 11 tackles and 2 interceptions. He then transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi in 2020 to compete at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Across his Southern Miss career, he grew into one of the conference’s most reliable cornerbacks, finishing with multiple interceptions, fumble recoveries, and pass breakups while starting regularly from his junior season onward.
Eric Scott Jr. Career
Early Career (2020–2022)
At Southern Miss, Scott developed steadily across three full seasons of action. As a junior in 2020, he appeared in 9 games with 5 starts, collecting 31 tackles, one interception, and five passes defensed, including an eight-tackle performance against Louisiana Tech University and seven tackles versus Tulane University. Those numbers established him as a physical presence on the perimeter.
His senior season in 2021 saw him start 11 of 12 games, posting 20 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries, with three-tackle efforts against Troy University and the University of Texas at El Paso. As a super senior in 2022, he appeared in all 12 games, compiling 27 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended, and 2 interceptions that were both returned for touchdowns, a sign of his finishing ability in the secondary.
Dallas Cowboys Era (2023–2024)
Eric Scott Jr. was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round, 178th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys had traded a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, number 159, used on Hunter Nourzad, to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the selection they used to draft Scott. As a rookie, however, he was declared inactive for every game of the season and did not see the field.
In 2024, Scott was passed on the Cowboys’ depth chart by rookie Caelen Carson and third-year player Andrew Booth Jr. during training camp. On August 26, 2024, he was waived by Dallas, ending his tenure with the organization that had drafted him less than two years earlier.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2024–Present)
Scott was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 28, 2024, giving him a quick path to a new organization. Two days later he was waived again, then re-signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad on September 3, 2024, allowing him to continue developing within Kansas City’s system. On February 11, 2025, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs, securing his place on the offseason roster.
On August 1, 2025, Scott was waived by Kansas City with an injury designation. Despite that transaction, he remains part of the broader Chiefs organization as he works toward returning to full health and re-establishing himself on the depth chart.
Driving Style and Strengths
Eric Scott Jr. is regarded as a physical, willing tackler with a college résumé that featured multiple interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns in his final college season. His experience in man coverage and his production in passes defended at Southern Miss suggest a player comfortable in press assignments, while his practice-squad trajectory in Kansas City indicates a developmental profile that the Chiefs have been willing to invest in.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones for Eric Scott Jr. include his 2023 NFL Draft selection by Dallas, his waiver claim by the Kansas City Chiefs in August 2024, and his reserve/future contract signed in February 2025. His two pick-sixes as a super senior at Southern Miss stand out as signature plays that helped cement his draft stock.
Eric Scott Jr. Career Wins
Eric Scott Jr. is an early-career professional, having entered the NFL in 2023. He has yet to record a regular-season stat line at the professional level, as he was inactive for every game as a Cowboys rookie in 2023 and spent time on the Chiefs’ practice squad and reserve lists afterward.
Southern Miss Highlights
Across his Southern Miss career, Scott appeared in 33 games and earned 11 starts in his final two seasons combined. He finished with 78 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries, including 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns in 2022. His eight-tackle effort against Louisiana Tech and three-tackle showings against Troy and UTEP underscore his consistency against competitive opponents.
Other Wins and Performances
At Butler Community College, Scott appeared in 11 games as a sophomore, recording 11 tackles and 2 interceptions that helped him secure his next transfer opportunity. His high school totals of 126 tackles and 9 interceptions across 33 games at Basehor-Linwood provided the foundation for his scholarship offers.
Eric Scott Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Eric Scott Jr. hails from Basehor, Kansas, where he attended Basehor-Linwood High School. Beyond his hometown and the support that led to his football scholarship, broader details of his family background are not publicly documented in available sources.
Personal Life
Public information about Eric Scott Jr.’s personal life is limited. He is known by his full name, Eric Scott Jr., reflecting a family naming tradition, and continues his professional football career out of Kansas City following his time in Dallas.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL offseason brought a measure of stability for Eric Scott Jr., who signed a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on February 11, 2025. That deal kept him within the Kansas City organization through the spring and into training camp, where he continued to compete for a cornerback role. The Chiefs’ decision to bring him back reflected their continued evaluation of his upside and fit within their defensive scheme.
On August 1, 2025, Scott was waived by Kansas City with an injury designation, a setback that complicated his path to the active roster. The injury designation typically signals that a player is dealing with a health issue that prevented immediate clearance, leaving his status for the regular season dependent on recovery and any subsequent transactions.
Looking ahead, Scott’s outlook hinges on his recovery and whether Kansas City, or another NFL club, chooses to bring him back once healthy. Given his draft pedigree, his two interceptions returned for touchdowns in his final college season, and his experience within the Chiefs’ system, he remains a developmental cornerback candidate worth monitoring as the 2025 season unfolds.