Anthony Scirrotto
Encyclopedia
Anthony Paul Scirrotto is an American football
safety who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Penn State
.
Scirrotto has also been a member of the New York Giants
and Philadelphia Eagles
.
, Scirrotto was named a PrepStar All-American defensive back, First-Team Associated Press
All-State in both football and baseball, First-Team Philadelphia Inquirer and South Jersey Player of the Year, First-Team All Colonial Conference
, and Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was a four-year starter at defensive back and led his team to three consecutive South Jersey Group II State Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004, including undefeated 12-0 seasons in 2003 and 2004 as the team's quarterback and free safety. Scirrotto grabbed 26 interceptions during his high school campaign.
Scirrotto, also a prolific baseball pitcher and shortstop, was projected to be an early second round pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Scirrotto reportedly declined interest in the MLB Draft in order to play football under Head Coach Joe Paterno
and pursue a higher education.
as both a safety and punt returner, and he secured his first career interception. In 2006, Scirrotto achieved prominence as a defensive playmaker when he led all players in the Big Ten Conference
in interceptions with six. He also led the conference in interception return yards with 122. Additionally, he was second among all players in the Big Ten in passes defended with 14. Among all Division 1-A players, Scirrotto was fifth in the nation in interception return yards and tied for 11th in total interceptions.
Scirrotto was the team's so-called "ironman" in 2006, participating in a team-leading 1,001 separate plays. In addition to his play from the safety position, Scirrotto garnered attention for making momentum shifting plays on Special Teams, returning an onside kick
for a touchdown
against the University of Illinois
, blocking a punt
against Michigan State University
, and as a punt returner
.
As a result of his play, the sports media named Scirrotto 2006 First Team All-Big Ten Conference
. Scirrotto also earned a spot on the ESPN.com
All-Bowl Team, a team composed of players with the best individual performances in postseason Bowl games. He was recognized for his efforts in the Nittany Lions' 20-10 victory over then-No. 17 University of Tennessee
in the Outback Bowl
on New Year's Day. Scirrotto recorded eight tackles (six solo), grabbed his sixth interception, and sparked the defense when he delivered arguably the Nittany Lions' biggest hit on then Tennessee wide receiver
, Jayson Swain
. He also caused two pass break-ups.
In 2007, Scirrotto extended his string of starts to 26 games. For the second consecutive year, Scirrotto led the Nittany Lions in interceptions with 3 and number of plays with 1,029. As a result of securing his 10th career interception, Scirrotto ended his junior season within 1 interception of entering the Top 10 in Penn State history.
The Sporting News
named Scirrotto to the 2008 preseason first-team All-Big Ten Conference team. At season's end, he was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Scirrotto was drafted in the 50th round at the number 1502 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals
in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft
, despite not having played baseball since his senior year of high school in 2005.
On August 20, 2007, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Presiding Judge Charles C. Brown Jr. granted, in part, a Motion for Habeas Corpus
, dismissing four of the six charges brought against Scirrotto. Presiding Judge Brown ruled that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania failed to proffer the basic, prima facie
evidence, necessary to submit Scirrotto to trial on charges of burglary, two counts of criminal solicitation, or assault. Judge Brown held that the Commonwealth did not offer any evidence that Scirrotto entered the apartment party with the intent to commit a crime therein. The Judge also ruled that there was no evidence that Scirrotto solicited any teammates to confront the men who had earlier attacked him. Additionally, Judge Brown held that there was no evidence that Scirrotto assaulted anyone in connection with the earlier attack upon him, or during the alleged apartment party confrontation.
On February 14, 2008, the remaining charges against Scirrotto were dismissed in return for Scirrotto pleading guilty to a reduced misdemeanor count for trespass. Scirrotto was sentenced to a year probation, 25 days community service, and payment of a $500 fine as part of the plea agreement.
by the Carolina Panthers
immediately following the 2009 NFL Draft
but was released before the start of training camp.
' practice squad on November 24, 2009. He was released a week later on December 1.
on August 16, 2010 after FS Antoine Harris
was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. Scirrotto was waived on September 3.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
Scirrotto has also been a member of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
During his senior season at West Deptford High SchoolWest Deptford High School
West Deptford High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from West Deptford Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the West Deptford Public Schools....
, Scirrotto was named a PrepStar All-American defensive back, First-Team Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-State in both football and baseball, First-Team Philadelphia Inquirer and South Jersey Player of the Year, First-Team All Colonial Conference
Colonial Conference (New Jersey)
The Colonial Conference is an athletic conference consisting of public high schools located in Camden County and Gloucester County, New Jersey. The Colonial Conference operates under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association...
, and Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was a four-year starter at defensive back and led his team to three consecutive South Jersey Group II State Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004, including undefeated 12-0 seasons in 2003 and 2004 as the team's quarterback and free safety. Scirrotto grabbed 26 interceptions during his high school campaign.
Scirrotto, also a prolific baseball pitcher and shortstop, was projected to be an early second round pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Scirrotto reportedly declined interest in the MLB Draft in order to play football under Head Coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
and pursue a higher education.
College career
In 2005, Scirrotto received considerable playing time as a true freshman at Penn StatePennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
as both a safety and punt returner, and he secured his first career interception. In 2006, Scirrotto achieved prominence as a defensive playmaker when he led all players in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in interceptions with six. He also led the conference in interception return yards with 122. Additionally, he was second among all players in the Big Ten in passes defended with 14. Among all Division 1-A players, Scirrotto was fifth in the nation in interception return yards and tied for 11th in total interceptions.
Scirrotto was the team's so-called "ironman" in 2006, participating in a team-leading 1,001 separate plays. In addition to his play from the safety position, Scirrotto garnered attention for making momentum shifting plays on Special Teams, returning an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
against the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, blocking a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
against Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and as a punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
.
As a result of his play, the sports media named Scirrotto 2006 First Team All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. Scirrotto also earned a spot on the ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
All-Bowl Team, a team composed of players with the best individual performances in postseason Bowl games. He was recognized for his efforts in the Nittany Lions' 20-10 victory over then-No. 17 University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
on New Year's Day. Scirrotto recorded eight tackles (six solo), grabbed his sixth interception, and sparked the defense when he delivered arguably the Nittany Lions' biggest hit on then Tennessee wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, Jayson Swain
Jayson Swain
Jayson Swain was a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He attended the University of Tennessee. Currently, he is back in Knoxville, Tennessee co-hosting a radio sports talk show on ESPN Radio Knoxville 1180 AM called "The Swain & Rucker Show."-High school:Swain was born in Chicago, Illinois, but...
. He also caused two pass break-ups.
In 2007, Scirrotto extended his string of starts to 26 games. For the second consecutive year, Scirrotto led the Nittany Lions in interceptions with 3 and number of plays with 1,029. As a result of securing his 10th career interception, Scirrotto ended his junior season within 1 interception of entering the Top 10 in Penn State history.
The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
named Scirrotto to the 2008 preseason first-team All-Big Ten Conference team. At season's end, he was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Scirrotto was drafted in the 50th round at the number 1502 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft
2009 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.The drafting order is as follows:-First-round selections:Key-Supplemental first-round selections:From Baseball America...
, despite not having played baseball since his senior year of high school in 2005.
2007 Off-campus incident
In a much publicized event, Scirrotto and his girlfriend were accosted, assaulted and battered by two Penn State students after a confrontation with them and a third man on a State College street on March 31, 2007. As a result of the attack, the two assailants were charged with harassment and criminal mischief respectively. One of the assailants was accused of striking Scirrotto in the face and the other of destroying his personal property. A Pennsylvania District Judge found both of Scirrotto's attackers guilty of those charges. In the early morning of April 1, 2007, less than an hour after the attack on Scirrotto, police alleged that Scirrotto and several teammates were involved in a confrontation with the assailants and several others at an off-campus apartment party. As a result of the alleged confrontation at the apartment party, Scirrotto was charged with felony burglary and criminal solicitation, as well as four related misdemeanors.On August 20, 2007, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Presiding Judge Charles C. Brown Jr. granted, in part, a Motion for Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
, dismissing four of the six charges brought against Scirrotto. Presiding Judge Brown ruled that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania failed to proffer the basic, prima facie
Prima facie
Prima facie is a Latin expression meaning on its first encounter, first blush, or at first sight. The literal translation would be "at first face", from the feminine form of primus and facies , both in the ablative case. It is used in modern legal English to signify that on first examination, a...
evidence, necessary to submit Scirrotto to trial on charges of burglary, two counts of criminal solicitation, or assault. Judge Brown held that the Commonwealth did not offer any evidence that Scirrotto entered the apartment party with the intent to commit a crime therein. The Judge also ruled that there was no evidence that Scirrotto solicited any teammates to confront the men who had earlier attacked him. Additionally, Judge Brown held that there was no evidence that Scirrotto assaulted anyone in connection with the earlier attack upon him, or during the alleged apartment party confrontation.
On February 14, 2008, the remaining charges against Scirrotto were dismissed in return for Scirrotto pleading guilty to a reduced misdemeanor count for trespass. Scirrotto was sentenced to a year probation, 25 days community service, and payment of a $500 fine as part of the plea agreement.
Carolina Panthers
Scirrotto was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
immediately following the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
but was released before the start of training camp.
New York Giants
Scirrotto was signed to the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' practice squad on November 24, 2009. He was released a week later on December 1.
Philadelphia Eagles
Scirrotto was signed by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 16, 2010 after FS Antoine Harris
Antoine Harris
Antoine Glenn Harris is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. Scirrotto was waived on September 3.