BROKEN BOW— For Jim Scott, football has always been about more than what happens between the lines.
That was evident Thursday afternoon at Bruning Bank where friends, family, former teammates and coaches, and community members gathered to celebrate one of Custer County’s most accomplished football players during ‘Jim Scott Day’.
Scott, the President of Bruning Bank’s Broken Bow location, will officially take his place in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame this weekend as part of the 2026 class. But before the Ansley native heads to Lincoln for the honor, his hometown area got its opportunity to celebrate.
(View a video about Jim Scott Day at the end of this story)
For Scott, Thursday’s celebration brought back memories of another ‘Jim Scott Day’ nearly 35 years ago.
“Back when I played, every senior had a day,” Scott recalled. “It wasn’t a day that was put on by the university but it was put on by your parents and your community.”
It was during that celebration that his hometown of Ansley and much of the county went all out to recognize their hometown Husker.
“I think the town of Ansley was closed,” laughed Scott. “It was at the National Guard Armory after the ball game and there was a big percentage of Custer County that were there to celebrate it and it just overwhelmed me.”
A banner from that day that hung on the fence at Memorial Stadium hung on the front of the bank in Broken Bow on Thursday, reading ‘Ansley Salutes Jim Scott #51’.
Scott was an eight man football standout at Ansley High School, playing center and nose guard for coach Dan Moore. He helped lead the Warriors to the state championship game three times in four years, including a Class D state championship as a junior in 1987.
A four time letterman in football, basketball, and track, he won the Class D shot put championship as a senior while setting the class D discus record at 177 feet.
After starting his college playing career at Nebraska-Kearney, Scott transferred to Nebraska and eventually became a key piece of one of the most dominant rushing attacks in Husker history.
As Nebraska’s starting center in 1992, Scott helped pave the way for a team that averaged 328.2 rushing yards per game, leading the nation and earning the Huskers their second straight NCAA rushing title. Nebraska also won the Big Eight championship, ranked second nationally in scoring at 38.8 points per game and finished the regular season with an 11-1 record before facing Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
Scott started all 11 regular season games and the Orange Bowl, earning first team All Big Eight honors from the Associated Press and conference coaches. He was also one of Nebraska’s four co-captains.
Scott was an Academic All Big Eight and Academic All District selection, earning his degree in business administration from Nebraska in 1992. He was inducted into the Nebraska Eight Man Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
The honor that perhaps best reflects the person Scott became was the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award. Presented after the 1992 season, it recognizes the senior who best exemplifies qualities including work ethic, competitiveness, leadership, loyalty, pride, a sense of humor and love of Nebraska.
To this day, those qualities have followed Scott to leading a team at work and serving customers who are quick to first describe him as humble.
During this week’s Husker football game, the 2026 Hall of Fame class will be introduced on the field alongside the other inductees, including fellow Nebraska standouts Charles Fryar, Cory Schlesinger, Cory Ross, Lavonte David and the late Sam Foltz.
For Scott, having his family beside him will make the moment even more special.
“They have us come out on the field and introduce us,” Scott said. “I think my family is excited for that. I know my daughters are because they get to join me on the field. I joked with them here a week ago, I said, ‘You don’t need to go out if you don’t want to’ and they looked at me like, ‘Are you crazy? We’re going out there!'”
Scott expressed that his family’s excitement and the outpouring of support from the communities in the area that helped shape him is what makes the accomplishment special for him and why he enjoys continuing to live in central Nebraska.
