CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears announced Tuesday that former University of South Alabama defensive back B.J. Scott has been invited to participate in the team’s rookie minicamp, which is set to start Friday.

He’s the second Jaguar to earn an opportunity to sign with a National Football League club after Courtney Smith inked a deal with the New York Jets following the 2010 campaign.

The Bears minicamp will last three days and take place at the organization’s practice facility in Lake Forest, Ill.

Scott — a native of Prichard, Ala. — was  an honorable mention all-Sun Belt Conference selection as a senior after collecting 84 tackles, including six behind the line of scrimmage, to go along with a pair of interceptions and three other passes broken up.  In addition to ranking third on the team in stops, he tied for the team lead forcing two fumbles and recovered another.  Scott led the Jags with a career-best 12 stops in his final collegiate contest at Hawaii, finishing with 10-plus tackles in three other outings, while at the end of the year he was one of four individuals voted team captain.

During his two-year USA career, he posted 132 total stops, broke up nine passes and forced three fumbles, averaging 29 yards on eight kick returns as well.  He ranks third in school history in tackles and is tied for second in forced fumbles.

Scott transferred to USA after spending three years in the program at Alabama, who he signed with after earning four letters at Vigor High School.  As a prep, he was the top-rated athlete in the country according to ESPN.com — the organization ranked him No. 20 overall nationally — the No. 3 defensive back in the Rivals.com ratings and seventh in Scout.com’s rankings.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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