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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Scottie Toddy: The Rebels’ Mississippi Made Running Back
10/18/2018 | Football
How the Soft-Spoken Mississippi Kid Came to be One of the SEC's Top Rushers
This story originally appeared in the Oct. 6 issue of Rebel: The official gameday magazine of Ole Miss football.
When head coach Matt Luke and running backs coach Derrick Nix returned to Oxford from their in-home visit with Scottie Phillips, they weren't quite sure what to make of it. Upon the return, the rest of the coaching staff asked how the visit went.
"I don't know," Luke replied. "He didn't say anything."
As it turned out, Luke and the Rebels had little to worry about.
"Ole Miss has always been the place I wanted to be," Phillips said. "I was big fan in high school. It just wasn't meant for me to go out of high school."
After injuries sidelined Phillips during his sophomore and junior seasons—critical years in the high school football recruiting cycle—he didn't garner much attention from big-time programs out of South Jones High School in Ellisville, Mississippi.
During his senior year, several junior colleges came calling, as well as some small Division I teams, including Jackson State, Southeastern Louisiana and UT Martin.
However, in order to fulfill his dream of running for the Rebels, Phillips took the junior college route and stayed in his home town at Jones County Junior College.
" I just thank JC for believing in me and giving me an opportunity out of high school," Phillips said. "It was a great two years. Two winning seasons. Met some great people and great friends."
He also drew the attention of some of the best programs in college football. Phillips racked up 1,112 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns, averaging 123.6 yards per game as a freshman. His rookie year at JCJC included six 100-yard performances and five games with multiple touchdowns. After the breakout season, his phone started ringing.
"I started getting some calls after the season during summer workouts," Phillips said. "I got calls from Miami and Baylor wanting me to come up my sophomore year. I visited LSU and Ole Miss. I had one scheduled up to TCU, Virginia Tech and Colorado."
Even with the spotlight on him, he continued to crush opposing defenses. He had another 1,000-yard campaign as a sophomore, tallying 1,070 yards and 13 scores. He broke the 200-yard barrier, going 219 with two touchdowns against Hinds Community College in his third-to-last JUCO game.
"Coach Nix and I went to watch him play," Luke recalled. "I knew he was going to be strong, low to the ground and hard to tackle and quick. But did he have the breakaway speed? Then maybe the third play I was there, he ran right by me on a 70-yard touchdown, and I was like, 'Ok, we're in good shape now.'"
Luke and his staff were on the hunt for a 1,000-yard back to replace their 1,000-yard rusher in Jordan Wilkins. Once they got a glimpse of Phillips tearing up talented competition, they knew they had their man.
"He was very strong, fast," Luke said. "He's a kid from Mississippi. I think it was going to mean something to him to represent Mississippi and play here."
Luke was right, even if the quiet, Mississippi Made running back made them sweat a little bit on that official visit.
"It was mainly just for my parents. I let them do most of the talking," Phillips said of the visit. "I just kind of chilled. That's probably why they didn't know what I was thinking."
Luke, Nix and the Rebel staff soon found out that Phillips' quiet nature didn't mean he wasn't interested. That was just Scottie being Scottie.
"Scottie is very workmanlike," Luke said. "He doesn't say much. He's about his business. Great kid. Does his job. Does a good job in school. Hard worker. He's exceeded expectations here. He's done really well and has been a great addition to our offense. You're just not going to get him to saw a whole lot."
While he's a man of few words, his performance more than speaks for him. In his Ole Miss debut, Phillips exploded for 204 and two touchdowns in a season-opening win over Texas Tech. That was the first of three 100-yard outings over the first four weeks of his first season in red and blue.
He has worked his way near the top of the rushing charts, not just in the Southeastern Conference, but across the country—and the quiet kid from small-town Mississippi isn't done making noise on the field.
"I'm chill and laid back. I just let my pads do the talking," Phillips said. "I'm just blessed for the opportunity and taking advantage of every opportunity I get."
When head coach Matt Luke and running backs coach Derrick Nix returned to Oxford from their in-home visit with Scottie Phillips, they weren't quite sure what to make of it. Upon the return, the rest of the coaching staff asked how the visit went.
"I don't know," Luke replied. "He didn't say anything."
As it turned out, Luke and the Rebels had little to worry about.
"Ole Miss has always been the place I wanted to be," Phillips said. "I was big fan in high school. It just wasn't meant for me to go out of high school."
After injuries sidelined Phillips during his sophomore and junior seasons—critical years in the high school football recruiting cycle—he didn't garner much attention from big-time programs out of South Jones High School in Ellisville, Mississippi.
During his senior year, several junior colleges came calling, as well as some small Division I teams, including Jackson State, Southeastern Louisiana and UT Martin.
However, in order to fulfill his dream of running for the Rebels, Phillips took the junior college route and stayed in his home town at Jones County Junior College.
" I just thank JC for believing in me and giving me an opportunity out of high school," Phillips said. "It was a great two years. Two winning seasons. Met some great people and great friends."
He also drew the attention of some of the best programs in college football. Phillips racked up 1,112 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns, averaging 123.6 yards per game as a freshman. His rookie year at JCJC included six 100-yard performances and five games with multiple touchdowns. After the breakout season, his phone started ringing.
"I started getting some calls after the season during summer workouts," Phillips said. "I got calls from Miami and Baylor wanting me to come up my sophomore year. I visited LSU and Ole Miss. I had one scheduled up to TCU, Virginia Tech and Colorado."
Even with the spotlight on him, he continued to crush opposing defenses. He had another 1,000-yard campaign as a sophomore, tallying 1,070 yards and 13 scores. He broke the 200-yard barrier, going 219 with two touchdowns against Hinds Community College in his third-to-last JUCO game.
"Coach Nix and I went to watch him play," Luke recalled. "I knew he was going to be strong, low to the ground and hard to tackle and quick. But did he have the breakaway speed? Then maybe the third play I was there, he ran right by me on a 70-yard touchdown, and I was like, 'Ok, we're in good shape now.'"
Luke and his staff were on the hunt for a 1,000-yard back to replace their 1,000-yard rusher in Jordan Wilkins. Once they got a glimpse of Phillips tearing up talented competition, they knew they had their man.
"He was very strong, fast," Luke said. "He's a kid from Mississippi. I think it was going to mean something to him to represent Mississippi and play here."
Luke was right, even if the quiet, Mississippi Made running back made them sweat a little bit on that official visit.
"It was mainly just for my parents. I let them do most of the talking," Phillips said of the visit. "I just kind of chilled. That's probably why they didn't know what I was thinking."
Luke, Nix and the Rebel staff soon found out that Phillips' quiet nature didn't mean he wasn't interested. That was just Scottie being Scottie.
"Scottie is very workmanlike," Luke said. "He doesn't say much. He's about his business. Great kid. Does his job. Does a good job in school. Hard worker. He's exceeded expectations here. He's done really well and has been a great addition to our offense. You're just not going to get him to saw a whole lot."
While he's a man of few words, his performance more than speaks for him. In his Ole Miss debut, Phillips exploded for 204 and two touchdowns in a season-opening win over Texas Tech. That was the first of three 100-yard outings over the first four weeks of his first season in red and blue.
He has worked his way near the top of the rushing charts, not just in the Southeastern Conference, but across the country—and the quiet kid from small-town Mississippi isn't done making noise on the field.
"I'm chill and laid back. I just let my pads do the talking," Phillips said. "I'm just blessed for the opportunity and taking advantage of every opportunity I get."
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