Donald Scott started his career at Eastern Michigan University as a football player. A 2015 EMU graduate and volunteer coach, Scott now spends his days training at EMU for the Olympic Trials in a different sport: track and field.
A Florida native, Scott attended Apopka High School, playing football and competing in track & field, where he was a two-time All-American in the 300m hurdles in the triple jump.
After graduating in 2010, Scott left Apopka with a football scholarship Eastern Michigan, only joining the track team after his first year of playing football, the sport he loved.
Then, things changed.
"After my JR season [of football] I knew that it wasn't something I wanted to pursue," Scott said. "I just got through my senior season and turned my attention to track and field. That's when things started to click, that I know I can be good at Triple Jump."
And Scott did get good at the triple jump, taking runner-up honors at indoor nationals and finishing third at outdoor nationals in 2016.
He graduated as EMU's school record holder in the triple jump for both indoors and outdoors, placed eighth at the 2015 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships and recently won his first international meet, in Guyana, with a jump of 17.02m.
"At a point I was doubting myself just a little bit until I jumped that 17.02. I felt great going into the meet and I came out on top," he said. "I know they [my competitors] have more years of skill in the triple jump than I do. So I feel like they can only improve by a little. I have tons to improve. I feel football held me back. And now I'm going to hit my prime soon."
Heading into the Olympic Trials this week, Scott's aware that he's the underdog. And he's used to that.
"I have always been the underdog," he said. "I'll just look at it just say to myself. My time is coming. No worries."
To make Team USA, he knows he'll probably have to improve on that 17.02 mark. But don't count Scott out.
"It will take a big PR and for me to focus on what I have to do and just that," he said. "I can't go into the meet worried about my competition. I know what I have to do in order to get that 1st, 2nd, or 3rd spot and that's compete at my best. And that's what I'm going to do."
"No body expects me to but it would be an honor to wear the uniform happily and prove [to] everyone that Donald Scott belongs there."