Stuart Scott Made ESPN Cool

Posted on January 04, 2015 by Dean Hybl

Longtime sports anchor Stuart Scott has passed away at the age of 49.

By the time Stuart Scott joined ESPN in 1993 the network was already recognized as the “worldwide leader in sports.” However, with his quick catch phrases and smooth delivery, Scott played a huge role in making ESPN cool (as the other side of the pillow). His death after a nearly eight year battle with cancer leaves a void at ESPN and in sports television that will never truly be filled.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Scott began his broadcast career with stints in Florence, South Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida before settling at ESPN.

Originally hired at ESPN as a host of ESPN2’s SportsNight, Scott soon became a regular behind the SportsCenter anchor desk, often teamed with Rich Eisen. His Hip-Hop references and quotable phrases quickly made him a favorite with the younger generation of ESPN fans.

Over the next two decades Scott was among ESPN’s leading faces and was especially prominent as part of their NFL and NBA coverage.

In 2002 suffered a freak injury when he was hit in the eye by a football at New York Jets minicamp. The incident damaged his cornea and he underwent multiple surgeries to deal with the damage.

His battle with cancer started in 2007 after he underwent an emergency appendectomy following a Monday Night Football Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. The surgeons discovered a malignancy that required additional surgery to remove possibly cancerous tissue. He returned to the air a month later and continued his on-air broadcasting while undergoing chemotherapy. The cancer returned in 2010 and again in 2013.

In 2014, Scott was honored as the recipient of the Jimmy V Award at the annual ESPY ceremony. He is survived by two daughters and millions of appreciative fans.

Below are a number of clips featuring Stuart Scott during his career and at the 2014 ESPY’s as well as remembrances of Scott by some of his sports colleagues.

Stuart Scott remembers his first episode of SportsCenter