Can Austin Scott Carry The Load?

If Penn State is going to be a legitimate contender for the Big Ten title this season, they're going to need more than just an improved Anthony Morelli to do so. With last year's workhorse Tony Hunt now in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, Austin Scott will finally get a chance to prove he's the running back everyone thought he was in high school.

Scott was the biggest name of Penn State's 2003 recruiting class, but things haven't worked out quite the way everybody thought they would. His time in Happy Valley so far has been spent standing on the sidelines watching Tony Hunt do all the work. He's rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career at Penn State, but those were supposed to be yearly totals, not lifetime.

Well, this season will be Scott's last chance to prove everybody was right about his talent in high school, because Hunt is gone and the onus now falls on him.

"He's always been a good prospect," coach Joe Paterno said. "I think when he came in here, things had been so easy for him in high school, and, all of a sudden, maybe he expected some things to happen to him because he was Austin Scott.

"I think Austin Scott's just got to be a little more consistent. When he wakes up in the morning, he can't be one guy one morning and another guy the next morning. And I think he's much better than he was. We'll see. But I think he's closer to where he's got to be to be a big-time, consistent college tailback than he was a year ago."

Well, I'd hope he is better than last year, because he spent last season redshirting on the scout team.

Scott hasn't played a game for Penn State since their Orange Bowl victory in January 2006.

Scott's primary competition will come from another former high school All-American, and fifth-year senior Rodney Kinlaw. With all the pressure on Scott to perform, he wants everybody to know he's not looking to redeem himself to the Nittany Lion faithful, he just wants to get out on that field and play.

"I don't think a lot about redemption," Scott said. "It's in the back of my mind, but it's not something I really want to focus on. I want to make sure I'm ready to go, make sure I know everything about the offense.

"I'm tired of answering the same questions over and over. I just want to get out there and play."

If Austin needs to look for an example that it can be done in Happy Valley, he doesn't have to look too far back in time to find one. There was another highly touted running back at Penn State that spent the majority of his first three seasons on the sidelines watching everybody else play just as recently as 2002.

His name was Larry Johnson, and all he did his senior season was rush for 2,087 yards before being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and going on to fantasy football superstardom.