Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

The nickname, Nick Scott concedes, was well-earned.

It was Scott’s former position coach, Charles Huff, who dubbed him “Spaz” during their meetings in the running backs room.

“On the field, I’m sporadic in my movements and my decisions and things like that,” Scott said Tuesday. “I’m more of a… uh — eccentric — kinda guy off the field. I’m funny and joking around. Energetic. And you can see it translate on the field.”

Perhaps, then, it was only natural that Scott make the switch over to defense for his sophomore season, playing in the secondary as he did in high school.

The move made sense for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that Penn State has signed three blue-chip running backs in the past two years — Saquon Barkley, Andre Robinson and Miles Sanders — to go with returning players Mark Allen and Johnathan Thomas.

But his playing style also fits well on defense, especially now that he’s taking reps at strong safety behind senior Malik Golden in spring practice.

Scott had spent the first seven practices at cornerback because the numbers were a bit thinner there, but the coaches moved him to his preferred spot about 10 days ago.

“It suits me more and my personality on the field,” Scott said. “It’s less rules and regulations and reads. It’s more of a see-quarterback, see-ball, get-ball type of deal.

“I’m more comfortable being a safety. I’m happy where I’m at now.”

That’s where he’s expected to line up when the public gets its first look at the 2016 Nittany Lions at Saturday’s Blue-White Game.

It’s a move that has been a few years in the making.

Though Scott was originally recruited as a running back by Bill O’Brien’s staff and signed to play offense shortly after James Franklin took over, there was one coach who kept in his ear about defense.

Former Lions defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, who worked directly with the safeties, would bring it up to him — teasingly at first, but more seriously as 2015 wound down and Barkley had established himself as Penn State’s feature back.

“A lot of stuff went through my head,” Scott said. “How the season played out. My physicality. My size. Just feeling more appropriate at this level for me to be a defensive back because I played DB in high school and all of that. A lot of that played into that.

“I felt like I could contribute more to the team (on defense).”

So Scott took the idea to Franklin at the end of the season, and the Lions head coach agreed.

“He’s got a great opportunity,” Franklin said at the start of spring ball. “He’s obviously had a big factor for us on special teams the last couple years, and I think this will allow that role to grow, as well as fighting for a spot.”

Scott showed plenty of versatility as a redshirt freshman. Aside from filling in as the top running back when Barkley and Akeel Lynch were injured, he starred on special teams, caught passes and even threw a touchdown to Christian Hackenberg.

It was hard to miss Scott, particularly when he was covering kick returns. Scott and classmate Koa Farmer would make a point to race each other down the field, treating the goal line like a finish line, leaning forward to break the imaginary tape on touchbacks.

He made eight tackles on the coverage units, and as a kick return man himself, had the highest average on the team at 23.8 yards and the longest runback at 58 yards.

Scott said he expects to continue along as a mainstay on five different special teams units, including field goal block, in 2016. Now he’s bringing that same energy to defense.

“He’s a wild dude,” senior linebacker Von Walker said. “He’s all over the place. He’s like three people at once.”

Helping Scott make the transition has been starting free safety and classmate Marcus Allen, who was talking to him about the switch since last fall.

Beyond that, Scott said a comment from cornerbacks coach Terry Smith at the start of the spring strongly resonated with him.

“One practice we were working on tackling,” Scott said. “I made a tackle and he told me, ‘You came to the defensive side of the ball to be physical. That’s your M.O. Use that physicality and use that as your personality as you play on defense.’

“I really bought into that. I pride myself on being physical.”

Even if it means tackling his old buddies at running back.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Scott said. “I was most looking forward to talking trash with Mark and Saquon. I thought it’d be funny to see how they reacted.

“We’re still friends. For the most part.”

Penn State’s Nick Scott (24) made a name for himself on special teams last year. Now the former running back is practicing at safety.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_AP_4293376775.jpg.optimal.jpgPenn State’s Nick Scott (24) made a name for himself on special teams last year. Now the former running back is practicing at safety. Gene J. Puskar | AP file photo

By Derek Levarse

[email protected]

BLUE-WHITE GAME

2 p.m., Saturday

Beaver Stadium

TV: 7 p.m., BTN (tape delay)

Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse