Biography
CAREER
Three-time All-Ivy League honoree (2019, 2021, 2022) … Freshman All-America Third Team selection in 2019.
2022
Unanimous First Team All-Ivy League … Team captain … NFF Hampshire Society Inductee … Earned team’s Sid Luckman MVP and Defensive MVP Award … Led squad with 93 tackles and four interceptions … Posted six consecutive double-figure tackle games from Weeks 5-9 … Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week twice (Nov. 7 & 14) … Had 13 tackles and picked off two passes against Brown … Blocked a kick and added an interception and 13 tackles at Harvard … Registered 14 tackles at Penn … Made eight tackles and picked off a pass at Georgetown.
2021
Second Team All-Ivy League honoree as a junior linebacker … Earned Third Team All-Ivy League honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Named a Second Team preseason All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Presented with the John J. CiriglianoIronman Award at team banquet … Saw action in eight games with six starts at weakside linebacker … Led the Lions in tackles (56), ranked second on the squad in tackles for loss (nine), finished with 2.0 sacks and four pass breakups after seeing action in only eight games … In Ivy League statistics, ranked No. 5 in tackles per game (7.0) and No. 6 in tackles for loss per game (1.13) … Totaled two 10-tackle games … Finished with a team-high tying nine tackles (four solo) and 2.0 tackles for loss for seven yards in season finale at Cornell (Nov. 20) … Registered five tackles (four solo), 1.5 tackles for loss for eight yards vs. Brown (Nov. 13) … Finished with eight tackles (four solo) with pass breakup and quarterback hurry vs. Harvard (Nov. 6) … Led the Lions with a career-high tying 12 tackles (eight solo) with 3.0 tackles for loss for 17 yards and a career-high 2.0 sacks for 14 yards at Yale (Oct. 30) … Totaled five tackles (five solo) at Dartmouth (Oct. 20) … Led the Lions with a career-high tying 12 tackles (eight solo) with one pass breakup vs. Penn (Oct. 16) … Named CollegeSportsMadness Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after his effort vs. Penn (Oct. 17) … Missed the Princeton (Oct. 2) and Central Connecticut State (Oct. 9) games due to injury … Registered one tackle and a pass breakup vs. Georgetown (Sept. 25) … Finished with four tackles (one solo), 0.5 tackles for loss for one yard, and broke up a pass in season opener vs. Marist (Sept. 18).
2020
Named a preseason Second Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Season canceled due to COVID pandemic.
2019
Earned Third Team Freshman All-America honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors following his first-year season … Third Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Named the team’s Ken Gerrmann Freshman of the Year at team banquet … Saw action in all 10 games and started six at linebacker … Also played extensively on special teams … Began season as a backup linebacker on the defensive depth chart but after several injuries, emerged as a starter … Earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors two times on year (Nov. 4 and Nov. 18) ... Two-time national STATS FCS honorable mention pick for its weekly Rookie of the Week award … Led Columbia and set a school-record for most tackles for loss in a season for a first-year with 8.5, ranked second on the squad with 60 tackles (30 solo), intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble … Ranked No. 10 in the Ivy League in tackles per game (6.0) and No. 11 in tackles for loss (0.85 per game) … Also set Columbia first-year record for most tackles for loss in a game (3.0 at Yale, Nov. 2, 2019) … Started each of the season’s last six games at linebacker … Registered two 10-plus tackle games … Led the Lions in tackles twice … Made seven tackles (five solo) and 1.0 tackle for loss in season finale at Cornell (Nov. 23) … Finished with a career and team-best 12 tackles (four solo) with 0.5 tackle for loss, and forced fumble and set the Columbia school-record for most TFL for a first-year vs. Brown (Nov. 16) … Earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors after his performance vs. Brown (Nov. 18) … Made 10 tackles (four solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss for 10 yards vs. Harvard (Nov. 9) … Set Columbia school-record for most tackles for loss for a first-year in a game with 3.0, made a then-career-high eight tackles (career-high seven solo) at Yale (Nov. 2) … Earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors after his performance at Yale … Made five tackles (three solo) at Dartmouth (Oct. 25) … Finished with a career-best seven tackles (three solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss for seven yards in first career start vs. Penn (Oct. 19) … Made three tackles and recovered a fumble vs. Central Connecticut State (Oct. 12) … Made a then-career-high six tackles (two solo) with 0.5 TFL at Princeton (Oct. 5) … Made first career tackle in first career action in season opener at Saint Francis, Pa. (Sept. 21).
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2019 graduate of Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita, Kansas, where he lettered in three seasons for Head Coach Dan Adelhardt … Two-time All-State selection as a safety (2017 and 2018) … Earned Kansas All-USA Today honors as a senior … Named to the Wichita Eagle All-Metro/All-Area squad as a senior … Earned Topeka Capital-Journal Class 5A All-State honors as a senior … Three-time All-City selection as a cornerback (sophomore year) and safety (junior and senior year) … Finalist for the Sports in Kansas 5A Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior … Earned Second Team All-League honors as a junior … Named Kapaun’s Wendy’s High School Heisman award-winner … Competed at the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl … Invited to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl for the West squad in Dodge City, Kansas … Played safety, running back, cornerback and outside linebacker for the Crusaders … Named team captain as a senior in football … Made 67 tackles, intercepted four passes, rushed for 782 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns during his senior year … Scored four touchdowns and rushed for 197 yards on 12 carries in a game … Led the Crusaders to a 7-3 overall record and 4-2 district record and state playoff appearance as a senior … Made 49 tackles, intercepted six passes and forced two fumbles during his junior season … Led Crusaders to 6-4 record and state playoff appearance as a junior … Made 38 tackles, intercepted three passes during sophomore year … Five-time team captain and earned nine varsity letters including three in football, three in basketball and three in baseball … Earned All-GWAL honors in baseball as a designated hitter … Helped guide the basketball team to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore in 2016 … Played 7on7 football for Epic 7 and helped guide the team to a third place finish in the Hall of Fame Tournament … Student Body President … Four-time member of the Superior Honor Roll … Heavily involved in the community as he logged over 100 hours of community service … His volunteer activities included work with a local fireworksstand, Lord’s Diner and Dear Neighbor Ministries.
PERSONAL
Born Scott Richard Valentas on October 31, 2000 in Chicago, Ill. … Son of Bill and Amy Valentas … Has a brother Will and sister Lily … Both of his parents attended St. Xavier University … Father played football at St. Xavier, was an NAIA All-District and MSFA Midwest All-Conference selection and inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 … Played against older brother in a high school football game during his sophomore year … Favorite food is honey chipotle chicken crispers … Favorite class is math … Favorite sports figure is Brian Urlacher … Committed to Columbia on October 16, 2018 … Chose Columbia because he dreamed of attending an Ivy League school ever since he was little and once he stepped foot on campus he knew he was home … Selected Columbia from 12 offers from FCS schools including Cornell, Indiana State, Murray State, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois with interest from Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri State and Nebraska … Enrolled at Columbia College … Majors in Economics.
