Greg Scruggs’ story is not a fairy tale. As the assistant defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Scruggs knows that he’s here because he never backed down.
“I had to change my mindset. I had to learn to trust the process.”
He learned the right lessons early in life, and with the support of Hope Ignites, worked hard to realize his potential. His story is not a journey of easy victories or charmed beginnings. It is a story of grit, of fighting through self-doubt and perseverance. It is about having the will to keep on moving forward, even when you don’t have all the answers.
Greg was 11 when he stepped into Hope Ignites Cincinnati (formerly Boys Hope Girls Hope of Cincinnati). His mother heard about the program from a family member and saw the opportunity it offered. And so, Greg and his brother Craig entered the program together, beginning a journey they couldn’t fully grasp at the time.
Seahawks players Bobby Wagner, left, Gregg Scruggs, middle, and Russell Wilson take turns signing a “12th Man” banner for Soldiers with the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Photo by Joint Base Lewis McChord.
CHANGING YOUR MINDSET TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
Moving in to the Residential program was jarring. A house full of strangers, an unfamiliar rhythm to life greeted him. “I just wanted to go see my brother every day. ‘Why can’t I just go hang out with my brother?’” Greg remembers. The program’s policy, at the time, separated siblings into different houses to help them grow independently. He didn’t understand it then. One night, frustration took over. He packed all his belongings into big, black trash bags and called his mother. “I’m out of here. I can’t stand these people.” His mother listened patiently, then she told him to sleep on it. The next day, she arrived. They walked around the parking lot, talking for hours. She told him, “Honey, just trust me on it. It’s worth it.”
Greg adapted. He learned resilience, the discipline of showing up even when he didn’t feel like it. “It wasn’t always easy,” he says. “I had to change my mindset. I had to learn to trust the process.”
Greg Scruggs interacting with young football fans at an NFL promo event.
“Simply put, Hope Ignites works. Period. It works.”
Through Hope Ignites’ partnership with the school, Greg attended St. Xavier High School, where he found himself through music. The marching band was his world. He played drums and envisioned a future leading an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) band as a drum major. That was the dream. But his high school football coach saw his athletic potential. “Every day, he would tell me, ‘If you play football, you could be the greatest football player to ever walk these hallways,’” Greg remembers. At first, he dismissed it, as he was more interested in playing basketball. But eventually his curiosity won out and he gave football a shot as a high school senior.
Football was tough. It wasn’t like music, where Greg could rely on his memory and the rhythm. Football hit back and so Greg had to learn fast. “I wasn’t scared to hit anybody,” he says, “but I didn’t know how to hit. The initial sting of a helmet—why would I do that when I could just go around a guy?” But he stayed, worked hard, and in time, the game rewarded him.
A scholarship to the University of Louisville followed. His goal was simple: get his degree and graduate. “If I didn’t get a scholarship, I was going to the military,” he says. “The one thing that was for sure was that my mother wasn’t going to pay for me to go to college.” He never thought about the NFL or pursuing football professionally. Then, his position coach, Clint Hurtt, planted a seed. “Man, you could play in the NFL,” the coach told him. Greg wasn’t sure. But he did the work, listened to his coach, and soon, agents started calling. “That’s when I started to think maybe I could really do this thing.”
He entered the 2012 NFL Draft. The Seattle Seahawks called his name, and he stayed there from 2012 until 2015, when he joined the Chicago Bears, before ending his career with the New England Patriots in 2017. At this point, he had won two Super Bowls. He transitioned to coaching, a new chapter that allowed him to pass on the lessons he had learned the hard way.
Greg Scruggs on the left, No. 98. Photo from the Seattle Seahawks game against the Green Bay Packers in Seattle, Wash., for Monday Night Football, Sept. 24, 2012. Photo by Brandan Schulze.
Those lessons continue to inspire him, fueling his journey of hope and growth. He now shares his hard-earned wisdom with those who walk a similar path—whether by encouraging scholars to remain committed to Hope Ignites or guiding young athletes as they navigate the challenges of newfound fame and success. Greg’s journey, from a hesitant Residential Scholar to an NFL star, has also led him to a deeper understanding of his relationship with alcohol. He acknowledges that this growth has shaped him, not only as a coach on the field but as a mentor in life. “My story is a story of hope,” he said.
Now, as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, he teaches young players the thing that ultimately carried him through: mindset.
“The program helped me change my mindset,” he says. “It surrounded me with people who genuinely cared about my future.” But beyond that, Hope Ignites taught him something deeper, about how to tackle adversity and overcome challenges. “Embrace your loved ones. Stand tall. The world isn’t always going to be kind, but if you know who you are and where you come from, you can push through anything.”
Greg stays grounded through life’s difficult moments thanks to his faith and his family. He also gives back to the program by serving on both the Cincinnati and Network boards and speaking to scholars as a role model who understands their experiences.
To the young scholars just joining Hope Ignites, to those standing at the edge, unsure whether to step forward, Greg has this to say:
AUTHOR
Martin Totland is the Media and Communications Coordinator for Hope Ignites.
NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASY
“Simply put, it works. Period. It works. My advice to them would be to think about all the possibilities in the world that you don’t know of. And to imagine yourself in your most ideal situation in life. What if I told you that there was a place that could help provide a foundation for you to get there, to be in a safe and secure environment that would provide you with academic opportunities beyond your comprehension, to provide you with resources in the network that literally spans the entire globe. If I told you that you can have access to that for free, would you take it? Most people would say yes. Would you be willing to sacrifice a couple hours a day on your PlayStation, a couple hours on your cell phone, a little bit of time instead of playing sports? Would you take it? Yes? Then my advice is to take it. Because I’m telling you that it works.”
He continues:
“Give it a chance. It might not feel comfortable at first, but if you stay open, it will give you opportunities you never imagined. You have to be willing to put in the work. Nothing worth having comes easy, and this program isn’t going to hand you anything—but it’s going to give you the tools to go out there and get it for yourself.”