By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Eagle Staff Writer
fjones@theoklahomaeagle.net
Scott Stafford has enjoyed success in athletics, entertainment and business. Stafford in a sense is probably one of the most humble and quietest men that you will ever meet. Stafford is one of the most successful business men from Tulsa north, coming from very humble beginnings, he has always kept his focus and drive in perspective.
Stafford said, “My grandfather used to drop me off at O’Brien Park early in the morning and I would tell him not to come back until the park closed. I was dedicated to becoming the best I could at an early age, I was 6’3 going into my sophomore year of high school, I remember going to camp and meeting the late ORU superstar Anthony Roberts. He was so massive to me. He looked like a basketball god to me. He was a great influence on me and, constantly pushed me to be better. It was at that point that I met a lot of college coaches and my recruitment began. I chose Tulsa Central as my high school because, my aunt went there, and I really liked the jersey colors.”
Stafford went on to start as a sophomore for the Braves. Stafford spoke of one of his high school coaches Ioda Fisher: “Coach Fisher would encourage me to work on one thing per practice to refine my game and become better overall player, because sometimes I would become bored at practice.”
Stafford achieved great things as a Brave he was a unanimous All State First Team Player and his Central Braves went to the state championship in 1979. By the time Stafford was a senior he was getting 4 to 6 division 1 college offers per week. Then right before his season was about to begin, he was told he was ineligible, he had been double promoted in elementary and also had to repeat the ninth grade.
Stafford said, “It kind of made me disappointed that I didn’t get to play my senior year, but at the end all the coaches voted for me to play in the All-Star games. I actually won MVP in the Kansas vs Oklahoma All-Star game. That was a turning point for me knowing that basketball wouldn’t last forever. Arkansas was recruiting me very hard but the coach that recruited me got hired at Southwest Missouri State so I decided to go play with him, I then transferred to North Eastern Oklahoma it was at that point that Coach Mike Mims who had always been in my corner also stated recruiting me. Coach Mims and Coach Nate Harris had always been champions for my success in the sport. I went on to Northern Iowa University while Wayman Tisdale and Danny Manning were on the cover of Street and Smiths Basketball pre-season publication I was in the book. I was the MVP at NI (Northern Iowa).”
Stafford went on to enjoy great success playing basketball all over the world, from country to country. Deep down in his heart, Stafford always retained a great love for his community and city. After his playing career ended. Stafford returned home and has enjoyed continual success and as an upscale urban adult contemporary night club owner and made thousands of families happy as one the leading car lot managers in Oklahoma.
Scott Stafford has and always will be a household name in the state of Oklahoma. With so many young men that he has mentored and assisted in becoming productive adults in society, to assisting with getting people transportation who thought there was no hope. Scott Stafford is remembering the time, while continuing the grind.
