WESSON — De’Vante Scott is not looking back, even if the road to reaching his dream took some twists and turns.

The former Ferriday High School standout committed to Mississippi State out of high school but enrolled at Copiah-Lincoln Community College due to grades. The original plan was to sign with Mississippi State after his sophomore year.

But after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the Wolfpack’s fourth game of the 2012 season, Scott later found out that Mississippi State no longer had an offer for him. Now, the all-purpose athlete will instead don the UAB green and gold. Scott said he signed with UAB Wednesday.

“Mississippi State dropped me after I had my injury,” Scott said. “I don’t think they thought I’d be ready. I had a couple of schools looking, but the UAB coaches believed in me. I have to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Scott said the Mississippi State coaching staff didn’t personally tell him that his offer no longer stood, but instead relayed the message to Co-Lin head coach Glenn Davis. While Scott said he found that odd, he’s not letting it get to him.

“I just have to move on,” Scott said. “I don’t really know what to say about it. I was committed out of high school and stayed with them. If that’s how they want to do it, that’s them.”

With his college signing out of the way, Scott said his attention is turned to Jan. 9, when he’s set to report to Birmingham, Ala.

“When I went on the recruiting visit, they showed me some plays and stuff, and they said they’d try to get the ball in my hands a lot,” Scott said. “All the coaches are really cool. They call me like every day. I have a good relationship with them.”

After tearing his ACL against Hinds Community College Sept. 20, Scott said he tried to go above and beyond with his rehab in order to strengthen his legs.

“I’m just trying to get the muscles in my legs back,” he said. “It’s coming.”

And it’s coming ahead of schedule, according to Scott.

“I just try to go the extra mile (with my rehab),” Scott said. “I think I just heal fast, too.”

When the injury happened, Scott said he thought it was just a little pain at first. After the doctor examined him on the sideline, that’s when he knew how bad the injury was, he said.

“At first, I was going to give up football and just take care of my schooling,” Scott said.

But after talking with Davis, his family and friends, Scott said he would try to stick with the sport he loves.

“(Davis) just told me to stay strong,” Scott said. “All my friends and family would tell me to look at the college and NFL players that tore their ACL and still got back out there.”

Scott admitted it was tough watching the Wolfpack from the sideline, but he was happy to see Co-Lin win the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges state championship.

“They dedicated the season to me, and to the coaches and fans, too,” Scott said. “They did it for a lot of people.”

Scott is the son of Varlene Scott and Tyrone Milligan.