Checking In With Scott

I had a good talk with running back Da’Rel Scott on Monday. He said he has added a few pounds of muscle, and looked like he had, too. He also said he has a lot of respect for Cal running back Jahvid Best and that Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium should be the site of a very good showcase for two standout running backs. Scott, of course, is looking for a second straight 1,000-yard season and is expected to be the featured back in Maryland’s offense. Davin Meggett and Morgan Green should both figure into the mix, as well, and Coach Ralph Friedgen is enthused about all three players carrying the ball.

On whether he has any concerns about the offensive line, which lost five of its top seven linemen:

“Phil [Costa] and Bruce [Campbell] are the best leaders you can have,” Scott said. “People say offensive line is the issue, but I feel good about it.”

On whether Maryland will have better overall leadership with only 14 seniors compared to 30 last season:

“Our leadership skills will be a lot better than they were last year,” Scott said. “We had some problems with leadership. Everyone was trying to take too much of that role last year. It’s not as many as last year, that should be a major key.”

On whether he can assume some leadership duties after becoming more vocal during the second half of last season:

“Definitely,” Scott said. “As the season went, I was becoming a leader. Now the coaches expect a lot out of me. But more than anything, I have to be a leader on the field.”

On whether he was banged up more than most people knew toward the end of last season:

“I was pretty banged up, but I just tried to play through it,” Scott said. “The hamstring at the end of the season hurt with my burst.”