By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider
Josh Scobee will finish his 12-year NFL career where it began on April 13 when he signs a one-day contract and retires as a Jacksonville Jaguar.
“I live in Jacksonville. [My wife, Melissa, our sons, Jacob and David, and I] are going to stay here for the long run. We love it here,” Scobee said. “It’s a big deal for the team to give me the opportunity to retire as a Jaguar because I got traded a couple years ago to Pittsburgh and that came out of the blue. The past year-and-a-half, two years, of not being involved with the team is not what I wanted. I’d always wanted to be a Jaguar and never wanted to play for another team. So, to be able to retire with the team is pretty special.”
A kicker chosen in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Louisiana Tech, as it would turn out, Scobee’s first training camp had nearly as many cameras as chinstraps. NFL Films was there to shoot and produce its series Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer 2004.
“There were times where I felt [added pressure during camp] because I was a big part of that story because my first couple games in the preseason were not very good and the last two were really good,” Scobee said. “So, I had a bit of a redemption story in terms of going from a drafted player to probably getting cut to making the team.”
Scobee would make the team over the next 10 years. Eleven seasons with the Jaguars, he is their all-time leading scorer with 1,022 points. The key to his longevity?
“With kickers, the key is consistency,” said Scobee, who appeared in 168 games for the Jaguars, the third-most in the team’s history. “And that’s on and off the field. The one thing that I heard over the years from the guys that play with one team for a long time is it’s better to be seen and not heard. And by that, I mean not be a distraction in any way other than how you perform on the field. And so, I tried to make my presence felt on the field, but in good ways off the field. I think that’s what helped me stay here such a long time.
“I can go back to one game in particular that’s my most memorable kick of my career. In 2010, we played at home against Indianapolis and I hit a 59-yarder to win the game with one second left. I have many other extremely fond memories during games, but the one main thing that I’m always going to remember is how well I was treated by the fans. I mean, they acted like I was the quarterback, basically. I was one of the fan favorites. Which really doesn’t happen that often.”
Scobee continued. “I would say the longevity with one team and kind of the reputation that I had [is what makes me most proud of my career]. Like I said, the fans were so fantastic to me. Just in the way that they treated me while I was out in the public, the way they treated my family. I think I was proud of how I turned out to be in the NFL, the person I turned out to be in the NFL, because everyone has growing up to do when it comes to life in general. I didn’t have the greatest reputation in college for certain things that were actually in my scouting report. So, I’m proud that I overcame some of those things.”
An avid and talented golfer, Scobee fits right in with the Jacksonville community. For 10 years, he chaired the CHILD Cancer Fund Charity Golf Tournament. He’s now involved with other area charities including The First Tee of North Florida, a youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. And he hosts a golf scramble for the Guardian Catholic Schools’ annual charity fundraiser.
But besides replacing his divots on Jacksonville’s finest fairways, what’s next for Scobee?
“Getting involved with the Jaguars is something I want to do,” he said. “In what capacity, I’m not sure yet. That’s an ongoing conversation already with the Jaguars. It’s all pretty new right now. And my love and passion is really in the game of golf and with the access to the PGA Tour and the Player’s Championship here, I’m going to look into getting involved in something with the game of golf.”