Mentor football: Quarterback Scotty Fox excited for June 21 camp at Alabama
Jun. 20—Scotty Fox has thrown so many passes in his young football career that most of them blend together.
The ones he'll throw on June 21 might be a little different, though, because of who might be watching.
Fox will be in Tuscaloosa, Ala., June 21 to take part in a one-day football camp at Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the Alabama Crimson Tide, after receiving an invitation from the coaching staff to come strut his stuff among some of the nation's top football recruits.
Front and center for the camp will be legendary Nick Saban, the winningest active coach in college football with 286 career victories. That makes the passes Fox throws this week a little different than the others he has thrown.
"Of course. It's the big man watching you," Fox said. "But you can't think too much about it. I'm just going to go play ball like I've done all the years of my life. It's not pressure. It's just showing off my talents and what I can do."
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound rising junior is coming off a sophomore season in which he threw for 3,089 yards and 29 touchdowns, along with 143 yards rushing and three scores. He led Mentor to a 9-4 record as the Division I, Region 1 runner-up.
Fox has had a busy offseason, particularly in the past handful of weeks. He has attended camps at Minnesota, Kentucky and West Virginia leading up to his trip to Tuscaloosa on June 21. He said he will also attend a camp in Cincinnati in the near future.
With his junior and senior seasons still ahead of him, Fox has offers from Kentucky, Minnesota, West Virginia, Indiana, Boston College, Marshall, Connecticut, Bowling Green, Toledo, Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Ball State. That list is going to grow significantly over the next two years.
Fox is rated three stars by 247sports. Rivals.com has not ranked Fox yet.
"I'm stoked," Fox said of his trip to Alabama. "I grew up watching them on TV, facing Ohio State a lot. This is an amazing opportunity."
Fox said camps such as the one at Alabama generally include measurements (logging his height and weight), passing drills and agility drills. Through this trip and all the trips he's taken, Fox said it is important to "know where my feet are," stay in the present and don't overthink.
"I always dream of being the best person I can be and the best player I can be," he said. "It's a blessing to have these opportunities. I'm just going to continue to build on them. I look where my feet are at and continue to control what I can control, like work ethic and character."
Fox said he would like to characterize himself as a good team leader who can read progressions and check-downs while also flashing arm strength on deep patterns.
"I've also got some athleticism and can escape (a pass rush)," he added. "The big thing is I show up every day and work my hardest."
While on the road a lot for camps at some of the nation's biggest football programs, Fox said he gets in plenty of work with his Mentor teammates. The Cardinals open the season Aug. 18 at Massillon Jackson before returning home the following week against St. Ignatius.
"We're a younger team, but that doesn't change anything," Fox said. "We're going to be the hardest workers on the field. We're going to come out every day and work hard to be the best we can be."
