Bart Scott Bartholomew Edward Scott ( born August 18 , 1980 ) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent . He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002 . He played college football at Southern Illinois . Scott was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2006 . Early years . Scott attended Southeastern High School in Detroit where he played running back and linebacker on the football team . Scott ' s assistant coach , Reinard Davis , recalled that " [ Scott ] went 110 percent on every snap and never came off the field . He was unbelievable . " During his senior year , Scott recorded 76 tackles and led the team in rushing with 635 yards . More than one hundred schools sent out recruiting letters ; however , low SAT scores made colleges shy away . Scott later improved his test scores to ensure eligibility . During July workouts for a Michigan high school all - star game , Scott was impressive on the field , thus catching the interest of coach Bryan Masi . Masi contacted Dan Enos , a friend and an assistant coach at Southern Illinois . As a result of the conversation , SIU offered Scott a scholarship . Scott continues to return to Southeastern High School nearly every year to speak with students , challenging them to aspire for more in life . Additionally , Scott provided the school with new uniforms and equipment in 2005 while upgrading the weight room in 2007 . Scott also paid to have a new set of bleachers installed at the school after vandals stole the school ' s former bleachers . In honor of Scott ' s accomplishments on the field and off of it , Southeastern High School retired his jersey in 2008 . College career . During his tenure at SIU , Scott played as a linebacker and safety . During his junior year , Scott was suspended from the team for the final six games of the season following an altercation with defensive coordinator Michael Vite who chastised Scott for eating during a locker room meeting . Following Scott ' s junior year , the team ' s entire staff was fired and as a result , Jerry Kill was brought in to coach the team . Kill had been warned by a former staff members about Scott ' s behavior . However , Kill was instead impressed by Scott , calling him " a captain and leader . " During his senior year , Scott led the team with 127 tackles and 5 . 5 sacks ; earning first - team All - Gateway conference honors . Kill touted Scott ' s ability to several NFL teams but only the Baltimore Ravens sent out a scout to assess Scott . The scout was highly impressed by Scott and three days following the 2002 NFL Draft , Scott was signed to a contract . Scott later returned to Southern Illinois in 2005 to finish his academics , graduating with a degree in economics . Scott later became a first - ballot member of the SIU ' s Hall of Fame . Professional career . Baltimore Ravens . During Scott ' s first three years with Baltimore he was a special teams standout . However , he saw little time in the defensive rotation . In his rookie season he played in all 16 regular season games and posted five tackles and one interception on defense while tying the team high special teams tackles at 17 . He made his NFL debut at the Carolina Panthers on September 8 . The following season he again played in all 16 games and one post - season game recording nine tackles and one fumble recovery on defense . His 19 special teams tackles , a career high , ranked second on the team . In 2004 he played in 13 games making 17 special teams tackles , adding five tackles on defense playing as a safety and linebacker . Scott saw significant playing time during the 2005 season in which Ray Lewis injured his hamstring , playing in all 16 games and making 10 starts . He finished the season with 119 tackles , four sacks , two forced fumbles , one fumble recovery and four passes defended . Scott signed a three year , $ 13 . 5 million contract extension with the Ravens turning down the Cleveland Browns offer in the process . In 2006 , Scott had a career year ending the season with a career - high 135 tackles , 9 . 5 sacks , two interceptions and nine passes defended . He played in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii as an alternate after being elected to replace his teammate Ray Lewis . Scott was named to the Associated Press ' second All - Pro team . Scott started all 16 games for the second straight season and recorded 131 tackles , one sack and three passes defended . On December 3 , 2007 , Scott was penalized twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in the fourth quarter of the Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots . The second call came after Scott picked up the official ' s flag from the first call and threw it . Following the game , teammate Samari Rolle made accusations of disrespectful language by the official involved . In his final year with Baltimore , Scott again started all 16 games contributing with 104 tackles , 1 . 5 sacks and five passes defended . New York Jets . In 2009 , Scott became a free agent . Both the Ravens and New York Jets vied for Scott ' s services . After the Jets amended their contract offer by adding an additional year to the deal , Scott signed the six year , $ 48 million contract with New York on February 27 , 2009 . This would reunite him with head coach Rex Ryan , his former defensive coach in Baltimore , whom Scott has stated he would follow anywhere . Scott started every game in his first season with New York , finishing the year with 92 tackles and a sack . After the Jets defeated the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Playoff game on January 16 , 2011 , ESPN ' s Sal Paolantonio approached Scott for an interview . Scott interrupted Paolantonio with a professional wrestling - style rant supporting his team and antagonizing " non - believers . " A clip of the interview went viral after being posted on YouTube . . The Jets lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship the following week . On March 3 , 2011 , Scott made an appearance for professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) on their " TNA Impact ! " television show , appearing alongside Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair at a wedding ceremony between Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett and in the end tapping out to Kurt Angle ' s ankle lock . On January 1 , 2012 , Bart Scott was fined $ 10 , 000 for showing an obscene gesture in front of a cameraman while in the locker room . The Jets released Scott on February 19 , 2013 . Personal . Scott grew up relatively poor in the violence - filled and drug infested neighborhood of Hurlbut Street on the east side of Detroit . In spite of this , Scott received guidance from multiple sources including his parents , Dorita Adams and Bart Capers , his grandmother , Gwendolyn Pippen Osborne , his sisters , Cutrice and Dawnyell and his high school coach , Drake Wilkins . Scott ' s experiences have kept him down to Earth and involved with the community ; evidenced by the fact that he is involved in multiple charities , including A Son Never Forgets , a foundation dedicated to helping those suffering with paralysis which was established by Scott himself in October 2006 . Scott has also dedicated money to his former neighborhood , buying a plot of land to build a playground near his grandmother ' s home in addition to providing equipment and speaking with students at his former alma mater , Southeastern . Scott is well known for his fierce , playmaking abilities as well as his trash talk off the football field . Scott is married to his wife , Darnesha . They have two children , a son , Bartholomew , and a daughter , Gisele .