Scott Matlock is a talented football player, but Boise State knew if they landed him, their team would be able to tap into his bottomless well of grit and determination, especially in the midst of hardship.

His backstory is one that can crush your heart, but his ability to rise above and still chase his football dream can inspire an entire nation.

That’s why Boise State was eager to offer the Idaho teen a full-ride scholarship.

“I honestly couldn’t be more proud of him,” Matlock’s older brother Steven told the Idaho Press-Tribune. “I’m happy he gets to experience something special.”

And it’s well deserved. By the time Matlock was in eighth-grade, he had lost both of his parents. His father died of testicular cancer when he was just 10 years old, and four years later, he found his mother lifeless on the couch after a clogged artery in her heart took her from this world far too soon.

Matlock was taken in by various foster families during his high school years before Mike and Donna Marose decided he needed more stability. So, they opened up their home, which required that he transfer to another school in a different town.

“We got a call from the state that they had a kid they really needed to place,” Mike Marose said. “If they weren’t able to place him, he was going to have to go to a facility, so we decided we would take him in.”

The transition to a small town was especially tough on Matlock. He continuously told his foster parents that he wouldn’t be there very long, and he’d be back in Boise in no time. It was football, however, that got the kid to stay.

His older brother was already in college, playing football at Idaho, and Matlock knew he wanted to have a similar experience. So, he worked hard on and off the football field to shine as a student-athlete. And by the end of his first year in high school, he asked the Maroses to adopt him.

Along with playing basketball and golf, he suited up as a tight end, offensive lineman and defensive lineman throughout his prep career. At Boise State, however, he’ll likely play on the defensive line.

Because the school was low on scholarships, he will “grayshirt,” and enroll in January in order to start his collegiate football career in 2019.

“I want my story to give hope to people,” he said. “That’s what I want. I want it to be inspirational, I want it to be motivational, and I want it to give people hope so no matter what you go through, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.

Matlock was named the Idaho Press-Tribune’s Inspirational Athlete of the Year, and will be honored on June 14 at the Sports Stars at the Nampa Civic Center just outside of Boise.

Then, keep an eye out for him on that famous blue turf.