All In: Stallions’ RB Bo Scarbrough on winning culture and Crimson Tide habits

The Birmingham Stallions are just two wins away from defending their title and hoisting up the USFL trophy for the second year in a row. If there’s anyone that knows what it takes to win a championship, it’s RB Bo Scarbrough, 26, who had a game-high of 135 rush yards in last year’s inaugural victory.

Scarbrough, a native of Eutaw, Alabama, earned two CFP national titles during his time with the Crimson Tide where he played under head coach Nick Saban. Although, he will not be playing in Sunday’s game due to a knee injury that’s caused him to miss out on the entirety of this season, you can guarantee that Bo Scarbrough will have a commanding voice in the Stallions locker room.

The Alabama fan-favorite discusses what sets the Stallions apart from any other USFL team, what he remembers most from last year’s championship game, what head coach Skip Holtz and Nick Saban have in common, and why Jennifer Holtz’ milkshakes are enough incentive for a Stallions’ win.

RELATED: 2023 USFL Playoffs - Schedule, match ups, how to watch, live stream info, TV channels and more

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What is your real name and how’d you get the nickname Bo?

Bo Scarbrough: I really don’t like to tell people my government name but I got the name “Bo” from my daddy. They used to call him “Kalbo”. Someone in my neighborhood gave me the nickname “Bo” because they used to call me Kalbo as well. They just made it short, it just stuck, and everybody started calling me that. A lot of people think that’s my real name. Everything has “Bo” on it, even my insurance cards...when I go check-in for a doctor’s appointment it’s always Bo. No one calls me by my government name. Not even my mom.

How old were you when you first fell in love with football and do you remember that day?

Scarbrough: It was the summer of kindergarten going into the first grade. Me and my friends would play football in the neighborhood wearing different jerseys--sometimes it was a Manning Jersey or Michael Vick. We would play from sun up till sun down. Our main goal was to make it to the NFL. Once they started little league football in our community, my friend Vontae and I fell in love with it. We were the best of friends and we did everything together. People say that we played alike. They didn’t know the difference between me and him with our shoulder pads and helmets on. Ever since I’ve played for the Green County Gators, I fell in love with football. I love the game, it’s something I’m surrounded by, I know the in’s and out and the game is like your girlfriend.

You mentioned Michael Vick, did you have any others NFL players that you looked up to growing up?

Scarbrough: Growing up I used to like Brandon Marshall, Michael Vick, and Roddy White when he was with the Falcons as well. One of my favorites of all time is Adrian Peterson and I try to mimic my game after him and run the ball like he did. I ended up being on the same team with him in Detroit and it was just amazing. He’s the type of guy that’s very calm and willing to help you anything. All you have to do is ask. He’s not an arrogant guy from all the things that he’s accomplished in his career. I didn’t expect him to be the type of guy that he was when I first met him, but he’s very respectful. I just tried to follow his footsteps when he was in Detroit. He was my favorite player of all time.

I love that you got to experience that full circle moment. Let’s fast forward to the start of the USFL. You didn’t sign with Birmingham till prior to week five of last season. When did you first hear about the USFL and when did you realize that you wanted to be part of the league?

Scarbrough: I didn’t hear about it until they started drafting people. A guy that I was working out with was telling me about the league and I ended up talking to [the Stallions General Manager] Zach Potter and expressing my interest in playing in the league. But I had the conversation with my agent first and we thought that the USFL would be the best route for me at the moment. Four or five weeks later, I get a call from Daryl [Johnston ]asking me to come down and watch a game to see if I wanted to play. I told him no disrespect, but if I come to Birmingham, I’m not coming to watch a game I’m coming to play.

Where were you when you got the call that the Stallions wanted you and what was your reaction?

Scarbrough: I was at home in Dallas. I didn’t have a big reaction. I realized it was time to go to work. It’s exciting but at the same time, you can’t be too excited because it’s a job. Playing football is one of the hardest jobs in the world because you don’t know if you’re going to be there the next day or not... at the end of the day this is business, this is an organization.

Even though you joined the team mid-season, you were immediately a leader in the locker room. How were you able to make that kind of impact so quickly?

Scarbrough: I think it is something that’s just in me. It’s always been me. When I was at Alabama it was the same way. When I spoke people listened. Me coming here and speaking, people know that I came from Alabama, and they knew that know what it takes win. It’s just all about having a respect from players. When you have respect from your players, if you speak they’re going to listen, and when they listen, they’re going to try to do their best and perform. To be a leader you just have to back up what you’re saying. When I first came, I led by example before I even spoke a word and tried to be a leader on the team. When I spoke, everybody bought into the system and we came together and won a championship.

You guys not only won the inaugural championship, but you only lost one game last season. What is it that sets the Stallions apart? Where does that winning culture come from?

Scarbrough: The winning culture come from us being one and everyone has to buy into the program, listen to Coach Holtz, and be coachable. You can’t be one of those players that wants to do their own thing and not listen. One player can mess up the whole team. There are only 11 guys on the field and if one player doesn’t do his job, then the whole play is messed up. We have players that want to buy in and be coachable and that’s make us different from other teams.

In the championship game you finished with 13 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. Take me back to that day. What do you remember most from that game?

Scarbrough: Winning. Normally, I can’t remember things that happen in the game because you’re in that mindset of domination... but the run I remember the most is the 70-yard-run that I had when I cut it back across the field. The only reason why I remember that run was because I was kind of gassed at the end. I also remember seeing the smile on all my teammates faces and the joy that we had together and the celebration that we had with our coaches and our fans. It was something special to be the first team to win the USFL Championship.

What does that championship win represent for you personally?

Scarbrough: It’s another ring to my collection to be able to show my kids when they’re able to understand what winning is about. I don’t expect them to accomplish what I’ve accomplished, but I expect them to go down that path of being better than I was. I have to show them that and the way to be better than me and raise them the right way. The championship means a lot to me because it’s something that I can carry with me for the rest of my life and it’s something that no one can take away. Everyone wants a championship but not everyone will win.

Getty Images

Getty Images

How is this team different from last season?

Scarbrough: We got almost half of the team back. We have a couple of new guys but we’re telling them what this team is all about. The expectations are very high. We expect guys to come in and be pros and not and not be little kids whose hands we have to hold while we’re trying to win football games.

How would you describe the Birmingham Stallions in one word?

Scarbrough: We’re disciplined and we’re dominant. I had to use two words. We’re a lot of things but the most important is that we’re a dominating team and a disciplined team.

How would you give me an example of your team’s discipline?

Scarbrough: Everyone takes responsibility, comes in on time, and works out when they’re supposed to. If coach gives us the day off, we have guys come in and work out. We do extra work outside of practice.

What’s one thing fans would be surprised to know about the Stallions?

Scarbrough: I’m pretty sure that they probably know everything about us at this point but I think they should know that we love our fans very much. We appreciate the support that they give us by coming out into this hot sun, especially the games that we play in the middle of the day. We really appreciate them and we love them for that. They’re like our 12th player on the field, because they’re going to be loud whether we win or lose. Our fans bring something special to the table.

How would you describe your role in the locker room this season? Is it different from what it was last year?

Scarbrough: It’s the same role but has leveled up because I have a lot of guys that come to me with a lot of questions about personal things that I can help them out with. I’m just happy to be that person that they can come and talk to and get things off their chest that they may be going through.

I love that. It’s a family. Switching gears - tell me about your knee injury. What happened and how are you feeling?

Scarbrough: I’m feeling pretty good. I had a partially torn meniscus and a bone spur behind my kneecap. The rehab is going well. The knee is feeling good so far, a little bit sore from the bone spur but it’ll take a few weeks. I’ll be back on the field for next year.

Great to hear. I wish you a speedy recovery! Last year, you guys were the only team in the league to play the entirety of last season at home, how does it feel to be on the road for some games this season?

Scarbrough: It feels great. I love when the guys go to away games and make them feel like home games. We’re coming in to take over and I like to see the sadness on the other team’s fan’s faces. We’re not bowing down to anyone wherever we go so it will always feel like a home game to us.

What’s it like working with head coach Skip Holtz? Tell me about your relationship with him.

Scarbrough: Coach Holtz is a very funny guy. When you talk to him about something he always has a good explanation and he makes you think about things in a different type of way. Being around Coach Skip is like being around Coach Nick Saban. He makes you feel comfortable being uncomfortable. He’s just a great coach and I love the way he runs the program. I like how he treats us.

When we win a game, we get milkshakes on Tuesday that his wife brings. We’re fighting to win because everyone wants that milkshake. Coach Holtz has fun with us. He takes us to Top Golf, the museum. He spends a lot of time with us. He’s different--he’s more of a player’s coach and he cares about his players a lot. he take it to the museum.

I love that you brought up that up because I heard Jennifer Holtz makes some bomb milkshakes. What flavor are you getting on a Tuesday afternoon?

Scarbrough: She brings in different ones but I’m kind of a vanilla guy. It’s just so good. You’ve got me thinking about it right now. We appreciate her for taking time out of her day to come and bring us milkshakes. It’s about 63 milkshakes that she has to bring in and it’s a pleasure to have her around. She’s bought into the team and she shown that she loves us.

Switching gears - I want to talk about Alabama. You were born and raised in Alabama, played for the Crimson Tide, now you’re representing the Stallions in Alabama. Tell me about how much pride you have for your state.

Scarbrough: I have a lot of pride from my state. I won two championships at Alabama. The fans and people here are great. It’s a great place to live. I love what we do here. Playing for Birmingham is even more exciting because the same people that were at the University of Alabama games are here for the USFL games. You get to see a lot of familiar faces. A lot of people get a chance to see me up close, because they didn’t they didn’t get a chance to see me in college up close. Every week I’m meeting someone that says “I watched you in college...”

Last week, I signed autographs for the first two quarters because I felt like I owed them that. It just felt great to look up in the stands and see the smiles on kids faces and grown ups faces.

What led to your decision to go to the University of Alabama?

Scarbrough: Me being from there had nothing to do with me committing to the University of Alabama. My aunt Denise Scarbrough was a big Alabama fan and she supported me in every sport that I did. She died from breast cancer when I was in the 10th grade. Another reason was Coach Saban.

By the time he came to my house, other schools like Miami, Ole Miss, and UCLA had been there. Most of the teams that came told me I would start when I got to college. What stood out to me the most was when Coach Saban came to my house he said, “I’m not going to promise you a starting job, but I am going to promise you that you can come in and compete, and have a chance to play. " I wanted to compete against the best and I wanted to be the best. Lastly, my mom was right there and she could come to the games. No matter where I went, she was going to be come either way, but it just made it easier for her.

I’m glad that I chose to go there. Coach Saban was there all my years and it made a huge difference for me in the long run.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned from Coach Nick Saban?

Scarbrough: The first is that you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable, that way you can handle anything. Second, the reason why we hold up four fingers is because it represents commitment, effort, discipline, and pride. Coach Saban has instilled those values in us and he cares more about who we are as men and as students than who we are as players. He would always say, if he can’t trust you to go to class, then he can’t trust you on the football field. He put school first.

Getty Images

Alabama is obviously a top tier program. You spent some time competing against and playing alongside the best – and that’s just talking about your teammates. You talked about the lessons you learned from Coach Saban, but what lessons have you learned from them?

Scarbrough: I’ll use Derrick Henry as an example. He was a guy that worked out after practice. He went hard in everything that he did and never took any plays off. I watched him, Kenyan Drake, and T.J. Yeldon...those guys would go full speed in everything that they did and then when they got to the game, the game was so much easier for them and they weren’t tired. Those guys taught me how to practice. I learned just by watching them. They didn’t have to speak or say anything.

You’ve spent some time with five NFL clubs after college, but unlike most players in the USFL you’ve actually had a taste of that NFL Game Day experience. What was your biggest takeaway from those collective experiences?

Scarbrough: You have to treat [football] like it’s a job because it is. [That mindset] has translated to the USFL. I treat it like it’s the NFL because it’s a job and we get paid to play. It’s being a pro.

You’ve had a lot of challenges in your career. The injuries in high school, college, and then having things not go as planned with the NFL. Yet your work ethic is unmatched. I read that you keep plays taped to your bathroom door that way you can study when you’re in the restroom. What’s your why? What keeps you going?

Scarbrough: My kids, my family, and the love of the game. When you love something so much, it’s hard for you to walk away until your time is over. That’s what drives me.... I tape plays against the bathroom door because of Coach Burton Burns at Alabama. I got that from him.

We’ve seen you on the field holding your son Island. He sees your example and is going to grow up with that core memory of watching your work ethic on the field. What does that mean to you?

Scarbrough: It means a lot. My 7-year-old daughter sees it as well. It’s very heartwarming for your kids to see you playing the game and do a good job. For Island, I know he doesn’t really know what’s going on but later in life, I can show him all the videos and the pictures. I don’t want him to put the pressure on him to be the player that I was. I want him to be better than me. Whatever he chooses to do, I’ll make sure he does it 100% well.

Once you have kids your life changes. Your heart gets softer. To watch [my kids] grow up so fast makes me feel like I’m getting older as the days go by. They have to eat. I have to provide for them and be the man they expect me to be--a man who handles his responsibilities with integrity.

Tell me about your relationship with your Mom – is she still doing your meal prep?

Scarbrough: Most people think my mom is my sister because of how young she looks. She’s still working at DCH Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She comes to every game and is supportive. I haven’t had her do my meal prep in a minute but now that you mention it I’ll probably have her start in the next six weeks or so. I appreciate her for everything she’s done for me. Without her I wouldn’t be the man I am today.

What’s on that meal prep menu?

Scarbrough: She already knows that I’ll want fried chicken, rice, collard greens, corn bread, and some black eyed peas... I can go on and on about those meals.

How has playing in the USFL changed your life?

Scarbrough: I wouldn’t say that it changed my life but it’s given me an opportunity to keep playing football.

You have a degree in criminal justice, what do you hope to do after football?

Scarbrough: I want to be an FBI investigator. That’s something that I always dreamed of being an FBI investigating. So after my career is over with football, I’m gonna pursue to be you know, in the FBI.

Alright, time for our speed round. Finish this sentence I’m not ready for game day without...

Scarbrough: Being prepared.

Favorite Food?

Scarbrough: Fried chicken.

Guilty pleasure show?

Scarbrough: Welcome to Eden.

What’s the most embarrassing song on your playlist?

Scarbrough: “Work” by Rihanna.

Would you rather have a pause button in your life or a rewind button in your life? What moment would you pause/rewind to?

Scarbrough: Rewind and I would go back to high school. It was fun. No responsibilities or bills.

Your life is on the line and you need to sing karaoke to defend it – what song are you picking?

Scarbrough: “Intro” by Lil’ Baby

Who from your team is most likely to have their own reality show?

Scarbrough: Zaquandre White.

Which Birmingham Stallion is most likely to cancel plans last minute?

Scarbrough: J’Mar Smith.

Which teammate is most likely to survive a scary movie?

Scarbrough: Marlon Williams.

Check out these other stories from NBC Sports’ Road to the USFL Kickoff Series:

• Reggie Corbin talks faith, fortitude, and football
• Case Cookus talks recovery, relationships, and more
• Darius Victor talks leadership role, life changes, and Generals football
• Tre Tarpley talks mindset and Maulers’ redemption tour