By Steve Patterson
Greg Scruggs, 230 lbs 6’-5” Defensive End prospect from St Xavier High School Ohio, played basketball and was in the band prior to his senior season. Two of his friends wanted him on the football team and with the enticement of a college scholarship Scruggs joined the Bombers football program this past summer. Scruggs feels his athletic ability makes him standout on the field. “I believe that my best attributes as a football player are my ability to pass rush and my ability to stretch out plays when it comes to things like the option or zone plays. Playing basketball helped me a lot with my running and acceleration and I have a knack for becoming a better player all the time so that helps me a lot.”
In addition to his first sack of the season, Greg Scruggs feels playing with his two friends, wide receiver Stephon Ball and running back Darius Ashley, are the highlights of his career to this point. “The highlight of my high school career thus far would have to be just playing with my best friends Stephon Ball and Darius Ashley. We had talked about it a lot the first three years in high school and now that we're finally doing it, it is a great experience. My first sack could also be high up in the rankings as the highlight of my high school career.”
Scruggs recruitment has taken off towards the end of his high school season. He reflected on one visit to Columbus as Ohio State is among those schools showing strong interest in offering a scholarship. “I took one visit about two years ago (to Ohio State) and I thought that it was a nice place. It was with a college tour so I didn't get to see much of the football program or what it had to offer. Overall though, I thought that it was a pretty neat big place.” He explained to us.
Scruggs knows what he is looking for in a college and it reflects what he has known at St. X the past four years. “In a college, I want a place where the coaches care about the players as a whole. A coach a lot like Coach Specht here at St. X. "Door is always open" type coach. I want a program that has players that want to work, and win. A program that has leadership amongst the players and that wants the underclassmen to be just as good as themselves. The program doesn't necessarily have to have a winning program but want the will to win.”
The offer list for Scruggs includes some of the bigger football programs in the mid-west region. “I currently hold offers from: Michigan, Michigan St., NC State, UConn, UC, Boston College, Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee, Miami (Oh), and Wake Forest. (In no particular order). I also have strong interest from Ohio State, Virginia, and Illinois.” He reported to us.
Finally, Scruggs feels the coaches at the programs that have offered him display what he is looking for in a college coaching staff. “I like the coaches a lot from my favorite schools. They are real Down to Earth men. All the programs that I am interested in really see potential in me and really want me to contribute to their winning tradition. I plan on deciding next year maybe in January sometime.”