Scott Darvin Wells (born January 7, 1981) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
. He played
college football for the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
, and was drafted by the
Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. He won
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
with the Packers over the
Pittsburgh Steelers.
Early years
Wells's father was in the
ministry of the
Churches of Christ, and Wells began playing football in
Crowley, Texas
Crowley is a city located mainly in Tarrant County in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 18,070 at the 2020 census, up 40.8% from the 2010 census.
History
Around 1848, pioneers began farming the area around Deer Creek. The settlement ...
, before the family moved to a congregation in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, where Wells spent his freshman and sophomore years at
Brookville Area High School; he finished his high school career at
Brentwood Academy in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Wells played
offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...
,
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
, and
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...
. He was a PrepStar and
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
/''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''
All America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
selection along with earning the Division II Class A 'Mr. Football' in 1998.
Wells also excelled on the wrestling mat, winning two Tennessee State Titles in the 275 pound weight class, going undefeated during his junior and senior years.
College career
Wells played
college football at the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
. While playing at
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
during 2000–2003, he was a four-year
letter winner
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
.
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
![Scott Wells](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Scott_Wells.jpg)
Wells was drafted by the
Green Bay Packers in the seventh round, pick 251, of the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
.
On September 5, 2004, Wells was waived by the Green Bay Packers but was signed to their
practice squad two-days later on September 7.
On October 2, 2004, he was promoted to the active roster when
Mike Flanagan was put on
injured reserve.
Wells saw his first NFL regular season playing time on
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
on November 21, 2004, in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
. He was named the starting center in the spring of 2006,
and held that position until 2011, missing just one game because of an eye injury.
In November 2006, Scott was given a 5-year, $15 million contract extension. At the end of the 2010 season, Wells and the Packers appeared in
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. He was a starter in the 31–25 victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers. On December 26, 2011, Wells was voted to his first career
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
St. Louis Rams
Wells signed a 4-year $24 million deal with the St. Louis Rams on March 16, 2012. In Week 1 against the
Detroit Lions on September 9, 2012, Wells fractured a metatarsal in his left foot. He also underwent arthroscopic surgery in his right knee to repair some torn cartilage.
Wells was released along with
Jake Long on the eve of free agency on March 9, 2015.
Personal life
Wells is married to Julie Crosthwait Wells (born 1981), and they have had a son Jackson (born 2004), a daughter Lola (born 2006), and a son Kingston (born 2010). The couple had lost premature twin sons, Deacon Scott Wells and Maddox Scott Wells as a result of
stillbirth on November 24, 2005
[ESPN - A Hand for Scott Wells ](_blank)
/ref> the year before Lola's birth. In 2012, the Wells adopted three children from Uganda, ages 2 through 5 - Caroline, Elijah, and R.J. Caroline was revealed in 2011 to be the biological sister to R.J. The Wells are actively involved in Churches of Christ.
He has earned two B.A. degrees in history and sociology.
References
External links
Green Bay Packers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Scott
1981 births
Living people
People from Spring Hill, Tennessee
Players of American football from Tennessee
American members of the Churches of Christ
American football centers
Tennessee Volunteers football players
Green Bay Packers players
St. Louis Rams players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients