Clarence Scott
Born: April, 9 1949 (Atlanta, GA)
Graduated: Trinity High School (GA), 1966/ Kansas State University, 1971

He’d never been on an airplane until the Wildcats flew him out of Georgia to try to recruit him. Today, he is honored in the Air Capital of the World as an inductee of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for his football accomplishments at both the collegiate and professional levels.

Clarence Scott chose to leave his home in Georgia to move 1,000 miles away to Manhattan, Kansas, to play football for the Kansas State Wildcats. At K-State, Scott played safety and earned All-American honors in 1970 as a senior. He also set the school’s career record for both interceptions and passes defended at K-State, including leading the team in interceptions with five as a sophomore and four as a senior.

For those achievements, Scott was inducted into the K-State Hall of Fame in 2003 and was placed in the K-State Ring of Honor in 2015. In 2016, he was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.

“It’s what I dreamed of, I wanted to always make a great impact on my family and my community and make them proud,” Scott said after the Atlanta induction. “I’m just glad to be in this position.”

Scott was one of the most decorated Wildcats to ever don the purple and white, as evidenced by his selection to four different college all-star games in 1971: the Senior Bowl, the Coaches’ All-America Game, the College All-Star Game, and the North-South Shrine Bowl.

Scott was drafted in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft by his favorite team, the Cleveland Browns. He started and finished his career in orange and brown, a rare achievement at the highest level of football. Scott began his career as a linebacker for his first eight seasons in the league before moving to safety for the final five.

In his rookie season, Scott snagged four interceptions, a number he achieved two other seasons in his career. In 1973 he intercepted five passes, a career high.

He ended his career with 39 total picks, including two returned for touchdowns. In addition to interceptions, Scott recovered eleven fumbles in his thirteen-year career.


While the Browns only finished with seven wins in 1973, Scott had a successful year that culminated with a Pro Bowl selection. Scott was named to the Cleveland Browns Legends in 2012 as a player that made a noteworthy contribution to the Browns organization.

It was never just about football for Scott. “I try to treat people as I would like to be treated,” he told an interviewer after his Atlanta induction. “I’m just that kind of person, I want the world to be the same way.”

It all started with a plane ride and today, Clarence Scott lands in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.