Jesuit Dallas Sports Hall of Fame - Tom Scott '08

Tom Scott dodged the athletic spotlight for much of his time at Jesuit, but as one of the most decorated karateka’s in the world, he has easily earned a place as one of the greatest student-athletes in the history of Jesuit Dallas. Scott cemented his legacy in the summer of 2021 by becoming the first Olympian in School history.
Scott’s list of national and international accomplishments in karate is dazzling. The first American to ever be ranked No. 1 in the world according to the World Karate Federation, Scott is a 15-time national champion, 10-time USA Open champion, six-time Pan American Gold medalist, four-time Karate 1 Premier League champion, and has been named USA Karate Male Athlete of the Year on five separate occasions.
Throughout his illustrious career, during which he has also been a three-time Pan American Games medalist and Paris Open champion, Scott has accumulated 36 medals on the international stage and is one of two Americans to ever take gold in both a kilo and open weight category, accomplishing the feat at the 2012 Pan American Championships.
Scott has been a member of the United States men’s senior team since turning 18, qualifying at the U.S. Team Trials and National Championships each summer since 2008. He is a two-time kumite gold medalist at the Pan American Games, competing in the men’s 75 kg division. He delivered a sensational performance on the final day of the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where he defeated Brazilian standout Hernani Verissimo in the final.
Scott, who is 4th Dan in WIKF Wado Kokusai Karate, represented the United States at the Tokyo Olympic Games in what marked the debut for the sport at the Summer Games. In four elimination-round bouts, Scott beat opponents from Hungary and Egypt, but lost to foes from Japan and Ukraine, and narrowly missed out advancing to the semifinals and a chance at an Olympic medal.
Dubbed “Captain America” by his teammates for the way he carries himself, Scott currently serves as the actual captain of the U.S. National Team. He continues to train and mentor young athletes at the Academy of Classical Karate in Plano.