Johnson's Journal - Scott Taylor Renfroe's Journey from Local Kid to Hometown Star

Scott Taylor Renfroe has faced plenty of pressure situations when lining up for field goal attempts at Troy, but nothing compared to what the fifth-year senior was feeling when he made his way to the 50-yard line of Veterans Memorial Stadium on October 26.

"I kind of joke around and say it was the most nervous I've ever been on that field," Renfroe said.

Taking a knee at midfield on a Sunday afternoon, Renfroe proposed marriage to his longtime girlfriend Addyson Russell, a senior student at Troy University.

"She's been my rock through pretty much my entire playing career," Renfroe said. "I mean, she really is one of my biggest supporters and always has been."

Members of both families were in on the surprise. Renfroe told Russell they were driving to Montgomery for her mother's birthday, but then pretended to get a call informing him of a called team meeting.

Once entering the football facility, he quickly donned a sport coat and slacks while Russell waited in the truck. Before long, her parents came out of hiding to lead their daughter onto the football field, where Renfroe stood with ring in hand.

Russell said yes, by the way, but a date for the wedding has yet to be set.

"She kind of keeps me grounded on everything, and picks me up during the lows and supports me during that, but also during the highs, keeps me focused," Renfroe said.

There's been many more ups than downs for the native of Troy and former Pike Liberal Arts School star.

Renfroe has started 35 consecutive games for the Trojans – the longest streak on the team – and has made 8-of-10 field goal attempts this season with a long of 47 yards during a win at Texas State. He's made 28-of-29 extra point attempts. For his career, Renfroe has made 38-of-47 field goal attempts and has accumulated 224 career points.

It's been a remarkable ride for someone who dreamed of playing for the hometown Trojans.

Kicking it around
Renfroe played multiple sports growing up, but turned to kicking at the urging of the JV football coach at PLAS, a private school in Troy.

"He played all sports and really liked soccer," said his father, Al Renfroe. "Pike Lib did not have a soccer team, so he was looking for something to do in the fall.

"Wes Allen was coaching the JV football team at Pike and told Scott Taylor, 'Hey, why don't you just try to come out and try kicking and see if you like it?' At that time, Ryan Kay (former kicker) had just finished up at Troy, and so I reached out to him and said, 'Scott Taylor is kind of entertaining this whole kicking thing and why don't you just watch him and see if there is any promise there and try to help him some.'

"So, he worked with him a little bit and he fell in love with it and decided that's what he wanted to do. He really kind of jumped in head first and started pursuing it."

During his initial years on the team, Renfroe played receiver and defensive back along with his kicking duties, but turned to kicking only as a senior when earning a college scholarship became a reality.

During that senior year, PLAS won the Class 3A Alabama Independent School Association state championship and didn't have the need for many field goal attempts thanks to a high-powered offense which found its way into the end zone often. Still, Renfroe made 5-of-7 field goals and 47-of-51 extra point attempts – the four PAT misses coming as a result of blocked kicks – and 81 percent of his kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Becoming a Trojan
Renfroe was on the radar of plenty of colleges, but none meant more to him than the university he grew up rooting for.

"I knew throughout my whole high school process that Troy was a place that I wanted to go, if they would take me, and obviously they did," Renfroe said. "I don't regret that decision not one bit."

Renfroe was somewhat starstruck when he walked into the locker room as a college football player for the first time in the summer of 2021.

"BJ Smith (running back) was like a six or seven-year senior because of injuries and the COVID year and all that," Renfroe said. "I remember his first year starting, I was like 13 or 14 years old and he was like one of my favorite players back then, and I'm walking into the locker room and they're like, 'Alright, these are our open lockers,' and I see BJ Smith's name tag.

"I'm like, 'I wanna be over there by him.' I kind of walked into that locker room still being a fan, but then over that summer getting to know all those guys, they turned into my family."

Developing into a standout
After a redshirt year as a true freshman, Renfroe learned behind senior Brooks Buce before taking over the starting placekicking duties as a sophomore and has been a fixture ever since.
He was named a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference second team selection heading into this season.
Troy special teams coach Tyler Hancock, who is in his first season at Troy, quickly took note of Renfroe's leadership qualities.

"He's been great from day one … had a whole lot of meaningful kicks before I got here," Hancock said. "He's motivated internally. He's a leader for the group. Like, he cares more than just about anybody and it's contagious."

Kicking can often be more of a mental challenge than physical. Hancock believes Renfroe has the type approach required for success at the position when the whistle blows.

"He's really sharp mentally on game day," Hancock said. "We barely talk on game day unless it's before or after a kick real quick, you know?"

Hometown support
Renfroe doesn't take for granted having the opportunity to play in front of family and friends during his college career.

"It's been awesome being able to do that," Renfroe said. "A lot of players, especially young guys, kind of struggle with being away from home for the first time ever, and so it's something that I didn't really have to deal with.

"Just knowing that they (family) are going to be at pretty much every single game, and I can look up in the in the stands and see my little sister and all my little cousins wearing #40 jerseys running around. It's awesome being able to have that."

His younger brother, Cade, has made his mark on the college level away from the friendly confines of Troy. He's a senior linebacker this year on the Delta State football team in Cleveland, Miss.

"I have a super close relationship with my brother," Renfroe said. "Like he's an absolute dog whenever it comes to anything in life and just how he just kind of attacks his process on everything. It's just very impressive being able to do that six-and-a-half hours away as well."

It's made football Saturdays quite interesting for the Renfroe family.

Al is a graduate of Troy, while his wife, Laura, is a graduate of South Alabama. Their oldest daughter, Addie, is a sophomore at Troy and manager for the Trojans' volleyball team. Middle daughter Caroline is a senior at PLAS and youngest daughter Harper is in the fourth grade at the school.

"Last year, when Troy played Memphis, which is about an hour-and-a-half from Cleveland, we watched Scott Taylor's game at 11 and as soon as that game was over, we drove to Cleveland and caught Cade's game that afternoon," Al said. "We've put a lot of miles on the car, but it's been awesome."

The finish line
With Troy's season headed down the homestretch, Renfroe wants to soak in every bit that remains in his college career.

"I'm not like a crazy emotional person by any means and I try not to think about the fact it's coming to an end," Renfroe said. "I can still take advantage of every single day, every single practice and every single moment in the locker room."

Once he does complete his final kick at Troy, Renfroe has aspirations of giving it a shot on the professional level.

"I want to compete at the highest level," he said. "I think everybody in our entire building wants that."

Hancock, who has had coaching stops on the college level at Buffalo, Baylor, Charlotte, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky, believes Renfroe has a legitimate shot to continue his football career. If it doesn't work out, however, the coach has no doubt Renfroe will find continued success in life.

"Whatever avenue it is that he goes down, he's prepared," Hancock said. "He is going to be great at whatever it is."

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Johnson's Journal - Scott Taylor Renfroe's Journey from Local Kid to Hometown Star

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