Scouting America has long believed not only that kids can excel in Scouts while excelling in sports but also that Scouting can, in fact, help kids to excel in sports.
That certainly seems to be the case for the 17 athletes on NFL rosters as the league’s 2024 season grinds onward. These are men who grew up in an era in which youth sports are almost a full-time job, and at the same time, they were all able to advance to the highest rank in Scouting.
Interestingly, there are more Eagle Scouts on NFL rosters now than there were the last time we did this.
(Author’s note: Coming up with this list is tricky. It involves searching the Scouting America alumni database and cross-referencing names, birthdates and hometowns. Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments or by email.)
Garett Bolles
Offensive lineman
Denver Broncos
Bolles’ backstory is pretty remarkable. After struggling with poor decisions as a youth, he managed to turn things around thanks to support from his church and family friends. After returning from his Latter-day Saint mission, he played two years at tiny Snow College, then one year at the University of Utah.
By that point, NFL scouts had seen enough: The kid could play. The Broncos drafted him in the first round.
I’d say it’s worked out pretty good for them. Bolles has played at left tackle — one of the most demanding positions in the game — for eight years. In 2023, he saw action on every offensive snap of the season.
Britain Covey
Wide receiver
Philadelphia Eagles
After not being drafted by an NFL team out of college, Covey signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent. He was actually cut from the team the following August, then re-signed to join the practice squad, only to be later elevated to the active roster.
Since then, Covey has found a role as an elite punt returner— he led the NFL with a career-high 417 punt return yards in 2023. He also played in the Super Bowl.
Covey uses his platform to raise awareness for Bridle Up Hope, a foundation with the purpose of using horseback riding to help women who have struggled with depression.
Frank Crum
Offensive lineman
Denver Broncos
Crum, who played college football at the University of Wyoming, comes from a long line of football standouts. His father, Gary (who also serves on the Scouting America National Board) starred at Wyoming before playing for several years in the NFL. His grandfather also played football for Wyoming.
It’s been a long road for the youngest Crum, who was not highly recruited out of high school. At Wyoming, though, he proved he has what it takes to play at the highest level. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent before the 2024 season and remains on their 53-man roster, though he has yet to appear in a game.
Landon Dickerson
Offensive lineman
Philadelphia Eagles
We first heard about Dickerson back in 2016 when he said on live TV that he was going to delay his college enrollment so he could work on his Eagle Scout service project.
Since then, Dickerson has appeared in two Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl.
Dickerson once organized a fundraiser to benefit a firefighter and father of four who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, the result of breathing in toxins while on the job.
Will Dissly
Tight end
Los Angeles Chargers
“I am an Eagle Scout,” Dissly said back in 2019 when he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. “I got it a week before my 18th birthday. It was cool to get finished. Only one percent of all Scouts accomplish that, so it was really cool to get it done.”
After six productive seasons in Seattle, Dissly signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers before the 2024 season.
David Montgomery
Running back
Detroit Lions
After being drafted by the Bears in 2019, Montgomery was one of the focal points of Chicago’s offense for four years, running for a career-high 1,070 yards in 2020. He signed a three-year contract with the Lions before the 2023 season and promptly ran for 1,015 yards in his first year in Detroit.
Montgomery’s Eagle Scout project was collecting toiletries for the homeless.
“David’s never been even tempted to do something wrong,” his mother said when Montgomery was starring at Iowa State University. “He watched several of his friends do the wrong things, but David kept himself around positive people.
“Football’s always been his go-to. It was something he’s always been good at. It was about all he ever even thought about until I got him into Scouts.”
Maema Njongmeta
Linebacker
Cincinnati Bengals
Before playing football for the University of Wisconsin, Njongmeta was a Cub Scout in Pack 36, a member of Scouts BSA Troop 100 and Venturer in Crew 747, all in the Northeast Illinois Council.
He signed with the Bengals as a free agent before the 2024 season and made his NFL debut in week three of the season against the Commanders.
“I used to camp all the time in Wisconsin. I loved those days,’’ Njongmeta said in 2023. “You get away from the world … and build memories and bonds that last a lifetime because you have to rely on each other.’’
Ryan Rehkow
Punter
Cincinnati Bengals
The life of an NFL punter isn’t always easy.
After excelling at BYU, Rehkow went undrafted this spring.
Then he signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Then he was released by the Chiefs.
Then he signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his first game as a pro, all Rehkow did was set the NFL record for gross punt average in a game, with a 64.5-yard average on four punts, including one 80-yard masterpiece.
Walter Rouse
Offensive lineman
Minnesota Vikings
Rouse earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2017 from Troop 1444 in the National Capital Area Council, then dominated opposing defensive linemen in college at Stanford and the University of Oklahoma.
He was drafted by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft and is still working on refining his skills before he appears in his first pro game (not at all unusual for an offensive lineman).
Rouse says he plans on putting his biomechanical engineering degree from Stanford to use once he’s done with football.
Phalen Sanford
Safety
Las Vegas Raiders
Sanford’s name first entered into the public domain when he introduced himself at a board of education meeting in Benkelman, Nebraska, in 2013 as a Scout who was there to observe the proceedings to check off a merit badge requirement.
Unlike most NFL players, Sanford was not a big football prospect coming out of high school. He spent one season at Hastings College but didn’t play as he recovered from shoulder surgery. His role on the team gradually increased, and by the time he was a senior he was playing significant snaps in the Cornhuskers’ secondary.
He is also an excellent musician.
Still, nobody viewed Sanford as an NFL prospect. After going undrafted, he impressed the Raiders enough to earn a three-year contract.
Eric Saubert
Tight end
San Francisco 49ers
We wrote about Saubert back in 2017. Since then, he’s carved out a nice seven-year career in the NFL.
Originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, Saubert has at times been employed by the Patriots, Raiders, Bears, Jaguars, Broncos, Dolphins, Cowboys, Texans and, currently, the 49ers.
Saubert has credited Scouting with giving him a strong moral foundation, practice working with a team and a supportive environment while he pursued his passion for football.
Brandon Scherff
Offensive lineman
Jacksonville Jaguars
As a Scout in Denison, Iowa, Scherff once took a field trip to Washington, D.C. Just a few years later, he was drafted by Washington’s NFL team to begin his pro career. Also mentioned in our 2017 article, Scherff signed with the Jaguars in 2022.
During his NFL career, Scherff has proved to be an excellent lineman, named to the Pro Bowl five times and first team All-Pro once.
Tommy Townsend
Punter
Houston Texans
Townsend punted for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl earlier this year, then signed a two-year contract with the Houston Texas before the 2024 season.
Townsend earned his Eagle Scout rank in 2014, when he was a member of Troop 200 in Apopka, Florida. In 2023, he was named a Ewing Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Heart of America Council.
Townsend’s career highlights include a 68-yard punt in 2023, along with 74- and 76-yard punts in 2022. He averaged 50.42 yards per punt in 2022, the highest in Chiefs history.
Kyle Trask
Quarterback
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trask barely played football in high school. He had only one scholarship offer from a traditional college football power. That school was the University of Florida, and he ended up leading the Gators to some of their best seasons in the last decade.
Drafting by the Buccaneers in 2021, Trask has played sparingly so far — he appeared in a combined three games in his first three seasons.
Jonah Williams
Defensive lineman
Minnesota Vikings
There are two Jonah Williams in the NFL. The offensive lineman for the Bengals is not an Eagle Scout as far as we can tell, but the defensive lineman for the Vikings is.
Williams earned the rank of Eagle Scout while living in Meridian, Idaho. After taking time away from football to serve a Latter-day Saint mission in São Paulo, Brazil, he enrolled at tiny Weber State University, the only school to offer him a scholarship.
After spending four seasons in the NFL with the Rams, Williams signed with the Vikings this spring. He is currently a member of the team’s practice squad.
Bobby Okereke
Linebacker
New York Giants
Okereke earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2013 from Troop 243 in Santa Ana, Calif. He played in college at Stanford and was originally drafted by the Colts, where he spent four seasons before signing a four-year contract with the New York Giants ahead the 2023 season.
In 2023, he was one of only two defensive players in the NFL to not miss a snap in the entire season.
Alex Ward
Long snapper
Los Angeles Rams
Long snapper is one of those NFL positions where the announcers only call your name when you’ve messed up. After signing with the Rams before the 2023 season, Ward hasn’t had his name called much in his first two NFL seasons, which is why he’s so highly regarded as a long snapper.
At an event last summer, Ward spoke eloquently about his experience in Scouting and how it benefits him in his current job.
“I can tie every knot in the book, but I don’t need that,” he said. “But I did take away a leadership aspect where … I could even encourage those older than me, who might be slacking off a little. … I could try to encourage them from even a lower spot on the totem pole. Then, you had to mold new relationships as older guys aged out. So, every year, you foster 10 new relationships with new people who are all working [toward the same goal.]”
Honorable mention …
Braeden Daniels, an offensive tackle from the University of Utah, was drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2023 but struggled to get on the field due to an injury to his rotator cuff. He was released by Washington in August 2024, then signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad.
Unfortunately, the Texans released Daniels a couple of weeks ago, just as I was beginning the research for this story.
Also, when writing about Eagle Scouts in the NFL, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my favorite coach, Browns strength and conditioning coach Monty Gibson. You can read Gibson’s inspiring story here.
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