The University of Wyoming’s (UW) football season hasn’t gone nearly as well as the team hoped, but one player has stood out. Running back Sam Scott, a junior from Omaha, Nebraska, has stepped up in big ways for the Cowboys. But he came to the university as a linebacker. This year, he’s switched gears. Scott has been the starting running back in 8 out of 9 games, tallying 501 total yards and four touchdowns. Wyoming Public Radio’s Jack O’Neil sat down with Scott to talk about his unique transition.

Editor's Note: This interview has been edited lightly for brevity and clarity.

Jack O’Neil: I'm lucky enough to be joined by Wyoming Cowboys running back, Sam Scott. Sam, thanks for joining me today. First question here, what does the sport of football mean to you?

Sam Scott: The sport of football means everything to me. I think, first off, it's framed my life in a lot of ways. It's given me everything that I've ever wanted - just the people around me and some of the qualities that I've learned. It's just taught me how to become a better man every single day, and just striving to always be 1 percent better every day.

JO: I like that a lot. So you mentioned you've been playing football for a while now. What's your earliest memory of football?

SS: My earliest memory would have to be when I first started to play tackle football, like, the feeder team down the street from my high school. So I was kind of on the fence. I was a little kid. I was, like, 'I don't know if I want to do this.' But the more I started to watch, the more I thought, 'This could be something for me.' I wanted to start playing physical contact football. So my dad signed me up. I’m pretty sure it was that week I started practicing. Then I realized I could do this thing. I started playing. I started as a linebacker when I was a kid. As I started to progress, I started to do other positions. I did a bunch of different positions, but I started at linebacker and learned how to tackle and hit and do all the fun stuff with everything.

JO: Like you said you were recruited as a linebacker. What drew you to Wyoming?

SS: I was recruited as a linebacker mainly because there weren't really any other opportunities for me in college. I was told, 'Hey, you're a great athlete. You can run the ball really well, but you might be better suited for this position. We see good things for you in this position, which is linebacker.' And so I just bet on that, because I really just wanted to play Division I football.

I didn't really necessarily care that I had to play running back in college, even though I knew I was always more naturally gifted in that area. Then I noticed Wyoming my junior year. I think it was kind of the end of my junior year right when COVID started. They were sending me graphics and sending me stuff over social media. And I was like, 'I'm going to look at this place.' I saw the facilities online and saw the culture and just everything that they were about. It resonated with me. Something that I hold near and dear to my heart is going to a place that has a really good culture around it.

JO: Since you've been at Wyoming, what's been your favorite memory of being a Cowboy?

SS: In my career, I guess there's two. There's one personal and then one team. The personal one is last year. It wasn’t my start, but I played a lot in the Texas Tech game. I was in the end zone twice, and I was able to score the two-point conversion to win it in overtime. That's, obviously, an incredible memory for myself, and that's something that will always be a personal memory of mine. Getting to score the game-winning two-point conversion is a dream come true.

But then I would say for a team memory, I think that bowl game last year against Toledo stands out. I felt fulfilled after that because we put together a stellar season, and then we were able to still win in a game against a good bowl contender.

JO: The bowl game last year, that was your first main game at running back. Can you explain how that kind of came up and happened?

SS: So it was 2022 I believe, and I was on the scout team. I wasn't really getting anything at linebacker. I was developing and getting better at the position, but wasn't really seeing any playing time with it and they didn't have any running backs. Guys were injured, guys had left, and so they kind of just did a look at the team, and they're like, 'Okay, who can step into a role and play some running back for us?' So I was their first choice for that spot because they knew of my running abilities in high school.

JO: Since that, what's been the biggest challenge of switching positions in college?

SS: The biggest challenge at the time was relearning another side of the ball. I've really stepped into a role where I feel comfortable. I think the biggest learning curve is how much do I have to take care of my body. Because it's a very physically taxing thing. So you go from not having hardly any reps, or no reps at all, and then having 50 plus snaps a game, and then almost half of those being carries. It's like, 'Okay, how's my body feeling, and what do I need to do to make sure it's not getting any worse?'

JO: Would you say this has been a breakout season for you? Is that kind of fair to say?

SS: Yeah, with the opportunities that I've gotten, like having close to 100 yards a game, and then touchdowns and blocking. Helping your team just get on the board and be able to compete, being a competitor, I think I've excelled at a higher rate this year than I have in other years.

JO: So, obviously, this year hasn't gone exactly how you guys wanted it to. So what has kind of kept this team together?

SS: I think it has been kept together because it's a new week every week, and just understanding that going out and competing one week has no effect on the next week. We all want to see each other succeed and experience wins here at UW.

JO: I like that. And then, last question here, what do you want to be remembered as a UW cowboy?

SS: Just someone who never, ever, ever gives up, ever. Someone who always, always perseveres. And it doesn't matter if I win or lose, I'm going to go all out all the time.