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Frederick Henry "Juice" Scruggs (born January 19, 2000) is an American professional football center for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State and was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Early years

Scruggs was born on January 19, 2000, in Ashtabula, Ohio. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and was a four-time varsity letter winner in football, playing lineman on both sides of the ball. He helped them compile a 49–3 record in his four years with the team, including consecutive 14–0 seasons. He was named first-team all-state as a defensive lineman in 2016 and as a senior in 2017 was named first-team all-state on the offensive line and was given the Pennsylvania Football New Class 4-A Lineman of the Year award. A consensus four-star recruit, Scruggs was ranked as the fifth-best center nationally. He committed to Penn State over offers from various other schools, including LSU, Ohio State and Michigan.

College career

Scruggs saw limited action in his first year at Penn State, only appearing on three snaps during their game against Maryland. He was named the joint-winner of the team's Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year award.

In early 2019, he was involved in a car accident that caused him serious injuries, including a concussion and fractured vertebrae. Scruggs had to wear a back brace for eight months and missed the entire season due to his injuries. He eventually recovered and made his return to the field against Maryland in November 2020, close to two years after the crash. Scruggs appeared in a total of seven games on the year, none of which he started.

Scruggs posted his first start in the 2021 season, starting all 13 games and earning honorable mention all-conference from the Big Ten's coaches and media, third-team honors from Pro Football Focus (PFF), and being named the winner of Penn State's Dick Maginnis Memorial Award for best offensive lineman. The following year, he was voted team captain and started all 12 games, being named third-team All-Big Ten by the league's coaches. Scruggs declared for the NFL draft after the season, forgoing an extra year of eligibility given to him due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional career

Scruggs was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2023. He was activated on November 25. As a rookie, he appeared in seven games and started six in the 2023 season.

References

1. "Juice Scruggs". ESPN. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
2. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Juice Scruggs, Interior Offensive Linemen, Penn State Nittany Lions". Sports Illustrated. December 16, 2022.
3. ^ Garrett, Tommy (April 9, 2023). "Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State". NFL Draft Scouting Report. Pro Football Network.
4. Hayes, Elton (December 17, 2020). "Long journey worth it for Ashtabula native Scruggs". Star Beacon.
5. Fitz, Shawn (October 14, 2020). "Penn State's Juice Scruggs continues long road back to football". 247Sports.
6. Gallan, Daniel (August 23, 2021). "Penn State's Juice Scruggs, healthy and ready to compete, looks to continue 'special' story". The Patriot-News.
7. Wogenrich, Mark (July 21, 2020). "'I Knew I Had to Come Back': Penn State's Juice Scruggs says he ready to play football again, nearly 17 months after a serious car accident". Sports Illustrated.
8. Wogenrich, Mark (December 26, 2022). "Penn State's Juice Scruggs Heads to the NFL Stronger Than Ever: Scruggs produced one of Penn State's great recent success stories. His next chapter begins after the Rose Bowl". Sports Illustrated.
9. Wogenrich, Mark (November 11, 2020). "In Loss, a Bright Spot for Penn State: Juice Scruggs Returns: Penn State lineman Juice Scruggs played Saturday for the first time in nearly two years. Afterward, he hugged his mother 'for like 10 minutes.'". Sports Illustrated.
10. Dehring, Sam (July 12, 2022). "Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 70 Juice Scruggs". USA Today.
11. Donohue, Tyler (December 24, 2022). "Penn State center Juice Scruggs to enter 2023 NFL Draft, play in Rose Bowl". 247Sports.
12. "Juice Scruggs Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
13. "2023 NFL Draft Scout Juice Scruggs College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
14. Galatzan, Matt (April 28, 2023). "Texans Trade Up, Select Penn State OL Juice Scruggs With No. 62 Pick". Sports Illustrated.
15. "Houston Texans Transactions (8-31-2023)". HoustonTexans.com. August 31, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
16. "Houston Texans Transactions (11-25-2023)". HoustonTexans.com. November 25, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
17. "Juice Scruggs 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.

External links

• Houston Texans bio
• Penn State Nittany Lions bio

• 2000 births
• Living people
• American football centers
• American football defensive linemen
• Sportspeople from Ashtabula, Ohio
• Players of American football from Ohio
• Players of American football from Erie, Pennsylvania
• Penn State Nittany Lions football players
• Houston Texans players