Vilseck’s Xavier Scott, left, break’s a tackle by Lakenheath’s Christopher Cruz at the DODEA-Europe all-star football game in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Nov. 12, 2016. Scott has signed an NFL contract with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. (Stars and Stripes)

Zavier Scott felt a little déjà vu.

Following his final season at the University of Maine, the 2017 Vilseck graduate was considering his options to extend his football career.

He didn’t have the hype of many draft prospects, even if he trusted his talent. That’s not that different from his experience after playing for a DODEA school.

“It kind of reminded me a lot of my high school,” Scott said. “I didn’t have any offers going out of high school, and I didn’t know if I was even going to play college ball. But I had the physical capabilities and the mindset to.

“When it came to drafting, signing, I wasn’t on anybody’s board. Nobody really thought anything of me. I really had to climb a mountain.”

He might be close to the summit now after signing an NFL contract as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts late last month.

That comes after a collegiate career that started at UConn and ended at Maine. As a Black Bear, Scott lined up at numerous positions, mostly at receiver and running back, and during his last season, he accrued 371 yards and four touchdowns on 39 rushing attempts and 434 yards and a score on 42 receptions.

The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Scott impressed during his pro day March 21, producing a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot broad jump.

Making that jump to the NFL doesn’t shock one of his former coaches.

“Two things I thought about Zavier: No. 1 was great work ethic, and No. 2, he has great parental and family support,” former Vilseck coach Jim Hall said. “That’s two things you really need as a kid, especially overseas.”

Scott himself credits lessons learned in Europe – not that his 16-year-old self would have believed him.

The Fort Hood, Texas, native moved to Bavaria before his junior year. His father, Nate, was in the Army.

Vilseck's Zavier Scott sprints to the finish line on his way to winning the 200-meter dash at the DODEA-Europe track and field finals in Kaiserslautern, Germany, May 27, 2017. Scott signed an NFL contract with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. At left is Baumholder's Nathaniel Horton, at right Rota's Jake Anderson. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The younger Scott said he didn’t think too highly of the move before it happened, as the junior season is not only critical for high school football but also for college recruiting.

He soon felt differently, learning patience, experiencing country-hopping trips and getting to meet other players and coaches from varied backgrounds.

“I really enjoyed it, and I definitely was grateful for it in the long run, looking back on it now,” Scott said. “At the time, I wasn’t too big of a fan of going to Germany because I thought I was not going to be able to play college football, but God has a way of working everything out.”

His favorite memories reside in DODEA gyms and athletic fields, including the weeklong 7-on-7 camps at Ansbach during the summer.

“The gym nights, sleeping on a hard floor with a blanket, those brought us closer,” Scott said. “So, just having that shared sacrifice when at the time I didn’t understand what it meant, but right now looking back on it, that’s something that benefited me and helped me improve from.”

Hall said he often saw traits that make Scott attractive to NFL teams.

Scott’s speed was evident, showcased with DODEA European titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races and the 4x100 relay during his senior track season. Hall described a couple of plays on the football field as well where Scott showed that burst. He returned one punt during a semifinal against Wiesbaden, only for it to be called back on a holding call. On the next play, Scott repeated the feat, though once again a holding penalty negated the play.

In a game against Lakenheath, he fielded a punt and stayed between the hash marks for a score. He followed that with a kickoff where he came up 5 yards short of hitting paydirt, as the referees ruled he stepped out of bounds.

“If he got outside and broke a run, he was gone,” Hall said. “He’s got that type of speed. We never timed him in the 40 because there was nobody around that could catch him.”

That speed and his hands (he caught 73 percent of balls thrown his way in 2022) played a role in the Colts’ interest in him.

He spent May 5-8 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis for the Colts rookie minicamp. The 23-year-old said the atmosphere was upbeat.

“It was great to be in such a professional organization,” Scott said. “They take everything seriously. I just met a lot of dudes, and there were some really good people this weekend, man.”

As an undrafted rookie, Scott faces an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster for the regular season.

Hall said he’s rooting for him. And so are many at his former school.

“I think that’s his best bet, making the Colts as a return specialist, because he’s got great hands and great feet, reads the blocking very well,” Hall said.