Bart Scott Is Ready To Come Out From Behind Ray Lewis’ Shadow
March 3, 2009 – 7:30 am by Doug Farrar
After the Brett Favre drama blew up in their faces, the New York Jets went in a drastically different direction. Gone was the dreaded Mangenius — he’s toddled off to Cleveland, and he’s already pissed off the half of Ohio that doesn’t root for the Bengals. To replace the Prodigal Son, Jets management turned to a far more no-nonsense choice — former Ravens defensive coordinator (and son of Buddy!) Rex Ryan. And one of Ryan’s first moves was to poach one of his most talented players in Baltimore, standout linebacker Bart Scott, for his new team. This sequence of events had to be a balm for GM Mike Tannenbaum, who took a fair amount of heat over the last year. On Monday, Ryan, Scott, and Tannenbaum all spoke to Michael Kay and Don La Greca on ESPN 1050 New York.
Scott, on how Ryan and the Jets recruited him:
“I’m just glad he didn’t get bitten and I’d have to do extra laps — my dogs were out barking … total surprise. If I knew they were coming, I would have put the dogs up. The first thing they said after they got in the house and I called the dogs off was … it really wasn’t a hard sell, because I’d spent my entire career with (Ryan). It was pretty much, ‘Bart, you know what I’m all about, and you know what I’m building. You know the brand of defense we play, and we want to make you the centerpiece of it.’ What more needs to be said?”
Ryan, on why Scott is so important to his new team:
“He’s just a guy who’s excited to play. He has a great passion for the game, and they’re going to feed off his enthusiasm. Obviously, he knows the system well, and he’s a guy I think will make people better. Guys love to play with him because he’s so enthusiastic, and he puts the pressure on himself.”
Ryan also said that Scott is taking it upon himself to take Vernon Gholston out of the realms of potential bustitude. I know this much: If Rex Ryan can’t turn Vernon Gholston’s career around, it isn’t salvageable.
Click here to listen to the J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! With Michael Kay and Don La Greca!
Tags: Bart Scott, ESPN 1050, football interviews, Mike Tannenbaum, NFL, Rex Ryan, sports radio interviews
One Response to “Bart Scott Is Ready To Come Out From Behind Ray Lewis’ Shadow”
Sweet, it’s about time!
By CK0712 on Mar 3, 2009