Talented Joppa CB has no reason to stop smiling

Joel Scott can't stop smiling. Seriously, he struts around the Joppatowne campus in a perpetually cheery mood with a big, toothy grin that would make TV anchors jealous.

"Kids in school used to call me 'Happy,'" said Joppatowne's star junior cornerback, chuckling at the memory. "I love life, so I'm just always smiling and laughing."

Even on the football field?

"Yes, even there," Scott said. "I'm the one who breaks my teammates up in practice or during a game. Even in a tense game I'm smiling; that's who I am. The only time I wasn't smiling was when we lost in the playoffs last year to Catoctin."

That 37-12 drubbing in the state championship game ruined Joppatowne's perfect season. Not even a guy named Happy could be, well, happy after that. But other than the Catoctin debacle, Scott had no reason to conceal his jovial spirit last year.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback - who doubled as a fullback - had a standout season with four interceptions, double-digit pass breakups and three touchdowns. As a short-yardage, goal-line fullback he chipped in eight touchdowns. All the while his team crushed the competition en route to a perfect regular season and a berth in the state-championship game.

"Joel was key to our success last year," said Joppatowne coach Bill Waibel. "He was versatile; he played all over the secondary, he played all of our backfield positions, he played linebacker and he played on special teams. And he had a knack for making big plays at any juncture during the game."

That was evident during a hard-fought victory over rival North Harford. Joppa held a slight 6-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But the Hawks' offense mounted a drive and scored a touchdown to take the lead with three minutes to go.

On the ensuing kickoff, Scott went back to receive.

"As soon as [North Harford] scored everyone's heads were down," Scott said. "I told myself, 'I need to make a play.' I started thinking about the kickoff in my head and how it would go.

"And it played out just like I thought - green grass and purple jerseys in front on me. I made a few moves, broke away and scored the game-winning touchdown."

Needless to say, Scott was all-smiles.

But while the kickoff return was certainly memorable, Scott's specialty was at cornerback. At 6-1, 195 with a 4.58 40-yard-dash time, he's a deadly combination of size and speed.

"My father was pretty big and fast to, so I got to thank heredity for that," Scott joked.

Scott lived up to his God-given talent. He didn't get beat deep once all year, and most of the time teams didn't even try.

That's not to say they didn't throw in his direction. Scott was a master at baiting quarterbacks into making bad decisions. He played a few yards off the line of scrimmage, practically begging the receiver to run a short slant or curl. When they did, Scott would watch quarterbacks' eyes, waiting for them to commit to the pass. If they took the bait, he'd burst forward and jump the route.

"We can put him on an island against the opposition's top receiver and we were confident he'd get the job done," Waibel said. "He's a good man-on-man guy, he'll jam you, he'll run with you, he'll jump with you (he's a basketball player) and he's got good flexibility in his hips.

"And he can close," Waibel continued. "He's a big guy, so he's not afraid to stick his head in there and make a big tackle on a rocket sweep."

Scott was flattered by Waibel's compliments. He's not used to receiving that kind of praise from his normally stoic coach.

"I didn't know he thought that much of me," Scott said. "I mean, I produced on the field, but he's always telling me I need to work harder in practice and stuff."

It's a fair criticism. Scott's happy-go-lucky attitude is fine for locker room camaraderie, but the smiles need to end when it's time to train.

Scott admitted he didn't always go all-out in practice and wasn't dedicated to weightlifting. He relied on natural ability to get by, which worked out well against the Harford and Baltimore County competition. But against top-tier players, talent's not enough.

"When it comes time to go to college, he's got to get stronger and work harder or he's going to be overmatched," Waibel said. "I think he's starting to see that. We just had a 2010 guy, Jake McGinnis, sign with Western Illinois and he was a big weight-room guy. Joel has seen the connection between getting offers and the time you put in in the weight room."

Scott has indeed taken his coach's comments to heart. He said basketball has helped him improve his endurance , while a better lifting routine (two hours, three times a week) has resulted in added muscle. This spring he's running track in order to get even faster.

"I have had my goofy moments," said Scott, chuckling again. "I do have to work harder. Sometimes it comes too easy for me, but I know at the next level I'll have tougher competition. If I put my mind to it I can be even better."

That includes his grades. Scouts and coaches believe Scott has Division I talent - Towson is apparently interested -- but he won't get any offers unless his GPA goes up.

"Right now, he's really starting to get on some [recruiting] radars," Waibel said, "but he has to do the work."

Work wasn't in Scott's vocabulary a couple of years ago. He insists it is now. He's confident he'll qualify academically; and thanks to his offseason workout regimen, he's ready for a standout senior campaign.

"Not to sound cocky, but expect some great things from me next year," Scott said. "I don't want to let anyone down. I know this is my last year and I can't take anything for granted."

Does that mean no more smiles?

"Nah," Scott said. "I'm not going to stop being me."