Scarver: The man, the myth, the record-holder
You may know him as the senior wide receiver for Utah State Football wearing No. 11. Or you know him as the back-to-back Mountain West Football Special Teams Player of the Year. Or you even may know him for his seven kickoff return touchdowns, which has made him the most recent player to hold the NCAA record for most career kickoff return touchdowns.
However you may recognize the name, Savon Scarver is a player to remember.
Scarver, who is originally from Las Vegas, currently holds the record for most kickoff returns for touchdowns in USU history and is now tied for the most in NCAA history after the Oct. 16 game against UNLV, where he ran for a 100-yard kickoff return in the first quarter of the game.
Once it happened, it wasn’t a huge surprise for USU head football coach Blake Anderson. Anderson said he could feel it coming and even told Scarver it was going to happen.
Senior Aggie receiver Deven Thompkins — a close friend of Scarver and lead blocker on the record-tying return — knew it was going to happen on Saturday night.
“I knew it,” Thompkins said. “He earned it. He stayed down for a long time. He’s been here longer than me, so he really worked hard for this, and he deserves everything that comes with it.”
Here’s another glance at the record-tying kick return from @SavonScarver last night. #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/ZftZiudr0P
— The Statesman Sports Desk (@StatesmanSports) October 17, 2021
As for Scarver, it was definitely a shining moment for him. After a frustrating season last year with no kickoff return touchdowns, he was finally able to see his hard work pay off.
“It just really comes down to taking the opportunity when it presents itself,” Scarver said. “I’ve been patiently waiting. I was getting really frustrated but I always tell myself, ‘relax, stay patient, it’ll come.’ So, it presented itself today, and I’m happy with the outcome.”
Overall, Scarver has now scored four kickoff return touchdowns for 100 yards, one for 99 yards, one for 96 yards and one for 94 yards.
And this wasn’t the first time Scarver has scored against UNLV. His very first career kickoff return touchdown was against the Rebels back in 2017 at the Sam Boyd Stadium.
As of press time, Scarver is only one kickoff return touchdown away from breaking the record and being the standalone NCAA leader.
The other four players currently tied with Scarver for the record include Rashaad Penny, a current NFL running back for the Seattle Seahawks, CJ Spiller, the current running backs coach for Clemson University, Tyron Carrier, current assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at University of Houston, and Tony Pollard, a current NFL running back for the Dallas Cowboys.
Coach Anderson has no doubt Scarver will break this record if other teams let him get his hands on the ball. However, he said opposing teams are doing a great job of avoiding kicking it to him.
“I’d like to see people get the ball to him, and that’s something we talked about offensively is trying to create those opportunities as well,” Anderson said. “I’m hoping that some of the kickers in the near future are going to have to kick to him and give him the opportunity to show what he’s capable of.”
Which is something Scarver clearly did on Saturday. Once he had gotten his hands on the ball, UNLV made sure not to make that mistake again.
However, Anderson also said Scarver isn’t careless either. He knows when it’s risky to run the ball, and he’ll make the right decision. And although Scarver believes he will surpass the other four players who are currently tied with him for the title, the records aren’t necessarily something he’s constantly focused on.
“It’s not really me striving to break records, it’s me just striving to fulfill my goals, and really, my goals are to just be the best I can be at whatever role I’m in,” Scarver said. “Whether that be receiver, kick return, punt return, kickoff, any position I’m in I want to be the best at it.”
According to his friends and family, he really is the best at everything. His sister Ashlee Burks and his mom Celeste Brown both talked about how he’s an all-around athlete who started out playing basketball and even had scholarship offers from colleges for track. However, football has always been his passion.
His good family friend Debbie Edwards said that even through it all, no matter what records he breaks or how big he gets, he continues to remain humble.
“He’s very much a team player,” Edwards said. “He’s worried about his teammates. It’s not all about his records. It’s not all about him furthering himself. It’s making his team better. The humility he has and not letting things go to his head is just aweing to me.”
But it’s no question Scarver is a valuable player. Even Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl told KSL Sports that he’s a player every team should be watching for.
“Scary. He’s a weapon,” Bohl said. “You try to minimize or mitigate his exposure, and it just kind of backfires. He’s a lot to handle. He can flip a game wide open.”
Although Scarver’s record touchdown was definitely one of the highlights of the win over UNLV, he can also celebrate with his team over USU’s last-second 28-24 victory.
And it all happened in the new NFL stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium. For Scarver this was something he was looking forward to, considering he remembers seeing the stadium being built the last time he was home.
However, Scarver explained that no matter where the team plays, he’s there to play good football, and that’s always going to be his focus.
“The grass and the lines are the same everywhere,” he said. “I can play anywhere. I can play outside if it had lines, it doesn’t matter, it’s just another field to me.”
Although Scarver was there for football on just another field, it still meant the world to him to be able to play in his hometown with all his friends and family in the stands there to cheer him on.
“This team is my family, but having my real family there and my real friends there — that’s going to mean everything to me,” Scarver said. “I’m going to play my best game and show out for my teammates and my family.”
It was also special for his family, his biggest supporters, who were so happy to be in the stands watching him play.
“It means a great deal to me and the family,” Tracy Brown, Scarver’s dad, said. “I know it’s been a long time coming for him.”
Bailey Rigby Scarver’s family got to see him break the record in person.
Scarver also shared that having the opportunity to be back in Vegas this past weekend brought up a lot of great memories for him, including one of his favorites; winning an NYFL football tournament — the Pigskin tournament — as a kid with his cousin and getting to take home a trophy.
But that wasn’t the only accomplishment he’s had in his career.
Additional awards Scarver has received include Walter Camp First-Team All-American in 2018, Phil Steele Magazine First-Team All-American in 2018, Johnny “The Jet” Award Winner in 2018, First-Team All-Mountain West in both 2018 and 2019, and Honorable Mention All-Mountain West in 2020, along with many other honors.
The awards are nice, but they don’t make Scarver complacent. He is constantly working towards improving each day.
Scarver said his whole life revolves around football, and it’s been that way since he started playing at age four. He explained he’s either at practice, watching film, lifting weights or training every single day of the week from 8 a.m. to 9 pm., except Sunday.
Even coach Anderson can see his hard work and dedication paying off.
“The guy can cut loose,” Anderson said. “He has unbelievable vision. He sees holes that other people don’t see. He doesn’t need a lot of space. He can fly. Obviously he’s got great speed to break. He has this anticipation and courage that a lot of people don’t have for kick returns. That’s not a job that everybody is comfortable in, and he is very comfortable.”
With his talents, hard work ethic and determination, Scarver hopes he can achieve his lifelong goal of playing in the NFL.
“My first time that I saw the Seahawks on the TV, I was like ‘dang, I wanna do that,’” he said. “And I feel like it’s getting closer and closer, and I’m still focused on the now, but that’s what I want to do.”
In the meantime, Scarver is focusing on being a good teammate and person, and Thompkins knows the type of person he is on and off the field.
“He plays his role. You can talk about how he’s an All-American kick returner and everything to that nature, but honestly he’s a great dude,” Thompkins said. “He embraces anyone and everybody that’s new to the team. For example, when I first got here he actually hosted me on my visit and my freshman year he was like my big brother. He’s someone that you can talk to no matter what.”
Celeste Brown also mentioned Savon’s good heart and amazing qualities both on and off the field and that he has always stayed true to himself.
“We’ve taught him what God has for you is for you always and to keep that and your faith first, and he’s done that,” Brown said.
Scarver shows his humility by stating he knows it’s not just all about him. He’s got a whole group of guys contributing to his greatness and his achievements.
Scarver came up with a long list of those who have contributed to his success over the years and feels grateful to have so many people in his life who support him.
“It’s a lot of guys and coaches that I credit my success to,” he said. “Ever since I came up here, everybody has been helping me form my greatest strengths. Everybody has played a role in me getting to the point where I am now. It feels good to have people around me that actually care and want to see me be great.”
Celeste Brown is definitely one of those people in Scarver’s life. She’s grateful to be a part of his football journey, for his opportunity to be at USU and to watch her son run down the entire field into the endzone.
“We’re just very proud,” she said. “We’re proud to be in this moment and here to watch him and celebrate this moment with him.”