When you think great news anchors it’s hard to not mention the late Stuart Scott. The ESPN legend passed away after a seven year battle with cancer Jan. 4 early in the morning, he was just 49.
Scott was known not only for his cool sayings such as “Boo-Yah!” or “He’s as cool as the other side of the pillow,” but also for the love for his daughters, Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15, his work ethic and how he revolutionized modern day sports broadcasting making it cool.
Scott began his legacy when he graduated his beloved UNC Tarheels at the top of his class in 1987. He then bounced around at various news companies such as WDPE-TV in Florence, S.C. Then he worked at WESH, an NBC affiliate in Orlando, Fla. Scott was then hired in 1994 by ESPN and did his first segment during a Keith Olberman-hosted SportsCenter.
Fellow ESPN Anchor Stan Verrett said he was a trailblazer: “Not only because he was black – obviously black – but because of his style, his demeanor, his presentation. He did not shy away from the fact that he was a black man, and that allowed the rest of us who came along to just be ourselves. He became a role model for African-American sports journalists.”
Along with being African-American and battling cancer, Scott faced another issue for a young journalist.
Scott was injured in a football accident where he had to get his cornea fixed. Oddly enough, he will also be remembered as the guy on ESPN with the eye condition. Scott battled his way through that and never let it affect his career. He had to learn how to read out of one eye, which may be challenging when your job is to read a teleprompter.
Scott’s battle with cancer was a long one. He was first treated in 2007, but he told the doctors he never wanted to be to know what type of cancer he was diagnosed with or what stage he was in. Scott would never miss a show he was scheduled for, chemotherapy or not. He would also be known for his interests in mixed martial-arts and P90x.
Scott was honored at the ESPY Awards on July 16, 2014, with the Jimmy V Award for his ongoing fight against cancer. He shared that he had four surgeries in seven days in the week prior to his appearance, when he was suffering from liver complications and kidney failure. “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live,” Scott said.
“The best thing I’ve ever done, the best thing I will ever do is be a dad to Taelor and Sydni,” he said about his girls. “I can’t ever give up because I can’t leave my daughters. I love you girls more than I will ever be able to express. You are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage tonight because of you. Now come give daddy a hug, because he needs that.”
Scott was that other side of the pillow. Rest in peace Stuart Scott.
