Stuart Scott, an inspiration to many and an ESPN broadcaster to others, passed away on January 4, 2015 at the age of forty-nine. After being diagnosed with cancer and having an emergency appendectomy in 2007, Scott faced many recurrences of cancer up until his death.

When hearing about Scott’s death, I was personally affected in a very profound way. Growing up watching him in the morning on ESPN and just thinking about how much excitement he brought to the sports world was something to look forward to. His passing has left many sports fans in our nation mourning because of the fact that Scott will no longer be there to report on sports in his trademark style.

Stuart was unlike any other person who was fighting cancer. Who trains in mixed martial arts amidst undergoing chemotherapy? Stuart Scott did. He would also be in the middle of a hospital procedure but leave to go be an anchor on Espn. Stuart had the heart of a champion and the mind of a sports anchor.

Scott brought a whole new style of broadcasting to the sports world. When he first took the job as an anchorman at ESPN2, he had a unique style that he was going to be known for and no one was going to change that. He had a style of broadcasting that interacted more with the youth and brought a tremendous amount of excitement to viewers. He had an impact on people to the point where if his voice came on the radio or TV people would instantly pop up in their chairs and expect that something good would happen. Every single night on the air he would make a lasting impression on his viewers.

Scott would use many sayings on the air that would intrigue viewers. His most used and well known including “Boo-Ya” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow.” He brought a sense of modern day hip-hop and an upbeat personality to broadcasting. Many people hated it, many loved it, but that is who Stuart was and that would end up being a legacy left behind in the sports broadcasting world. At times, the other anchormen or staff of ESPN would ask him to tone it down, but Stuart would deny the request because of the fact that that was him and the impact he wanted to leave.

On July 16, 2014, Scott accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance award at the ESPY’s. The Jimmy V perseverance award is awarded to someone who has a big impact on the sports world while fighting a severe illness but has the motivation and inspiration to fight against the odds. This will never be forgotten and neither will Stuart Scott. Just the day before receiving this award, Scott was in the hospital getting treatment for his cancer. His wife, Kim Scott, was worried about Stuart receiving this ESPY because of how weak she thought he was but then she remembered that he was one of the strongest and most motivated people she had ever met.

Stuart Scott would give a memorable and moving speech at the ESPY’s that inspired many. Scott will forever be known as the upbeat sports broadcaster who taught people more about life than he did sports. His true love for his family, his courageous and hopeful outlook on life and his perseverance will be forever remembered. As Scott said during his speech at the ESPY’s, “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”