Road to the Hall of Fame: Rob Scott

GLASSBORO, NJ - Rob Scott, a member of Rowan’s men’s basketball team from 1994 to 1998, never thought that he would ever have a successful athletic career at the collegiate level and be named to a Hall of Fame, let alone graduate from high school. 

However, Scott will be able to see the culmination of many years of hard work and determination as he will be one of seven inductees into the Rowan/Glassboro State Athletic Hall of Fame on October 24. 

Starting his athletic career at Rowan in 1994, he notes how difficult a transition it was for him being a first-generation college student. While he wasn’t as concerned about the athletics aspect of college, Scott was overcoming the struggles of being on his own with no family support and trying to graduate. 

“It was basically, I had to become a man really quick,” says Scott. “Just a couple of people that came along on my path kind of steered me in the right direction. They [were] pretty good role models for me and I saw something that I never had seen before coming from the place I was from.” 

Originally from Newark, NJ, Scott had a challenging upbringing growing up. Having a history of run-ins with law enforcement, he credits basketball and several role models, including Joan Robinson, Bob Newman, Steve Monaco, Michael Burden, and Chris Martin, for helping him build a better path for himself. This ultimately led to Scott wanting to work with youth going through the same things that he went through as a teen. 

“I know, like my situation, a lot of us have good in us, but we just need the right tools to bring it out,” says Scott. “A lot of people don’t get those chances and I was lucky enough to get a chance.” 

Despite the struggles Scott encountered during his youth, and as he navigated higher education as a first-generation student, he still recognized the importance of him being at Rowan and setting an example for himself to his family and others like him. 

“I just grasped the challenge and took it all in and embraced it,” says Scott. “With me doing that at Rowan for the next generation, it gives them the opportunity to see that it can be done and I’ve been a role model for a lot of the younger generations who want to further their education.” 

Scott played at Rowan during a very successful time for the program, under head coach John Giannini, and then Joe Cassidy, as the Profs made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and compiled an impressive 102-19 record. In Scott’s freshman year in 1994-95, Rowan advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four and achieved a third-place finish. 

“We were successful because we were trying to follow a tradition that was built prior to us coming there. The first Final Four we had guys like Terrence Stewart, Omar Foote, Charles Grasty. All of those guys were teaching the younger ones how to actually play the game and how to win. They instilled a winning culture in us where we felt like we were obligated to keep up that tradition,” said Scott. “The group of guys we had was like a brotherhood. We challenged each other to get better. Sometimes our practices were harder than the actual games.”

After that Final Four appearance, the Profs took it one step further, winning the 1996 NCAA Championship, and forever etching their legacy in Glassboro State/Rowan history as one of 11 teams to become national champions. 

“Winning the national championship was something that I never imagined. I just went to college and wanted to be a student-athlete and I never thought of a national championship. I was there to actually just play and be a part of the winning culture. And Coach G had an idea of what type of players he needed to accomplish the goals."

 

The 6-6 forward made his mark, averaging double figures in his final two seasons, and in 1998, averaged 17.1 points and 9.5 rebounds en route to being named an All-America First Team selection and the NJAC Player of the Year. He finished his career with 1,244 points and is still ranked 12th on the Profs’ all-time scoring list. 

“I also have to thank coach Joe Cassidy for allowing me to the player I could be my senior year,” continued Scott. 

Scott received his degree in criminal justice from Rowan in 2015 with the goal of becoming a juvenile probation officer. He now works as a psychology rehab counselor in Pennsauken, NJ. 

Amidst the numerous accolades that Scott earned during his time at Rowan, he notes that his teammates were what made his experience at Rowan. Referring to them as a family, he learned early on in his career that his teammates were who he was ultimately playing for through their shared system of accountability and brotherhood. 

“I learned I wasn’t playing for me. I was playing for my teammates,” says Scott. “If one guy gets beat, then I would protect the room and vice versa, so that was a great memory to be a part of.” 

Looking back on his career at Rowan, Scott wants people to remember him as a leader and someone who always tried his best. Recognizing that he never thought that he was good enough throughout his athletic career at Rowan, Scott is pleasantly shocked by the honor and how it shows that his years of hard work and determination paid off. 

Giannini, now Rowan’s director of athletics, sensed that Scott would eventually be a Hall of Famer, and knows that the honor is well-deserved. 

“I am actually not surprised. I saw this ability in Rob as a recruit,” says Giannini. “He was an excellent all-around player, but his rebounding tenacity was at the highest level. His teams won because he set a standard of great effort and dominance for teammates to match.” 

Scott  said, “It was a great experience. I was blessed to accomplish almost everything a college athlete could accomplish. It was a great ride and experience at Rowan University.”

The 2021 Rowan/Glassboro State Athletic Hall of Fame Class also includes John Bunting – Football Coach (1988-92) ,  Mary Marino – Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach (1987-97, 1988-97 and 1999-07), Moriah Holmstrom  – Field Hockey (1997-2000),  Tiffany Miller – Softball (1994-97), Bob Pfeffer – Baseball (1975-78), and Mike Rucci – Baseball (2002-05).  The induction ceremony will take place on Homecoming Weekend on Sunday, October 24. To buy tickets - PURCHASE