By Bob Ferrante
Scott Bentley was considered one of the top kickers in the nation in 1993. And Florida State was in search of a kicker.
After Wide Right and Wide Right II, FSU coaches felt that Bentley was their man. So did a bunch of college coaches.
“The whole recruiting process was a learning experience and it opened my eyes to how much attention I was getting,” Bentley said. “The first day coaches could call me, I had my wisdom teeth out the day before. So I couldn’t really talk, but I think I had 40-50 coaches call me that first day.”
Bentley picked FSU. Before he even played a college game, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline: Boom! And then continued with “Freshman kicker Scott Bentley gives No. 1 Florida State the winning edge.”
No pressure, kid.
Bentley made 13 of 20 field-goal attempts that season, a respectable percentage for a true freshman. And he delivered in the clutch, nailing 4 of 4 field goals in an 18-16 Orange Bowl win over Nebraska that sealed the 1993 national championship (relive it here).
“I kind of went with my heart,” Bentley said. “I felt like the need at Florida State was of importance. I wanted to play my freshman year, wanted to be on the best team in the land and certainly was able to do that.”
In the final installment in our series with key members of the '93 national championship team, here's our interview with Scott.
You grew up in Colorado. What prompted you to choose FSU?
Bentley: They put a high emphasis on getting a kicker. (Offensive coordinator) Brad Scott was probably the deciding factor. I really felt comfortable with him. And obviously Bobby Bowden. But Brad Scott really invested a lot of time. He was very genuine. He sold me and my family on Florida State and what they could offer me in the future.
How much pressure was there on you as a true freshman? It wasn’t like you could redshirt a season.
Bentley: No question. There definitely was. I was 17-18 years old. I don’t think it quite hit me until Sports Illustrated wanted to put me on the cover of their college football preview. That really opened my eyes. As soon as that happened, I said to myself, ‘This isn’t going to be what I thought it would be as far as playing under the radar.’ And the first day of practice, afterwards there were 30-40 reporters there waiting to talk to me. Then it really started to hit me. For what it was worth, I certainly did not know that it was going to be that important to everybody. Football in Tallahassee and the South as a whole is completely different than what I was used to growing up. So certainly it was a learning experience.
With the FSU-Nebraska game being so close, such a defensive game, your field goals were essential to the victory. How special was that night?
Bentley: I always kicked really well in that Orange Bowl. That was obviously my first game there because we played Miami at home my freshman year. I think I went on to make eight field goals over my career at the Orange Bowl. That night I was in the zone. I did miss my very first field goal, it was completely off the radar, it didn’t even hit the net. It went way off to the left. After that I spent some time on the sideline just kicking into the net.
After that I was dialed in. I was hitting the ball well. I was mad that we got down so close for the game-winning field goal because I wanted it to be a little bit further.
What kicks are memorable to you?
Bentley: My senior year was probably my most successful year (16 of 18). I really wanted to be 100 percent my senior year. I think the kicks that I missed were easy kicks. The kick that I remember the most was the one that was blocked by Brian Dawkins (of Clemson) and I was able to chase him down to preserve the 57-0 shutout my freshman year.
The one that I kicked my senior year to take the lead in my ACC scoring mark, that was a 50-yarder at Dolphins Stadium against Maryland (ACC Championship game). They called a couple timeouts to try and ice me. That was an opportunity for me to make a long one. That was one of the best balls I ever kicked.
Do you get to come back to Tallahassee for games?
Bentley: I do try to come back for one or two games a year. I would like to be more involved with the program. Some guys I do talk to and when we talk it’s like we never missed a beat.
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