After growing up in Athens, Georgia, but playing high school football in Arlington, Virginia at Washington-Lee High School, Scott played college football at the University of Georgia, where he led Georgia in interceptions in 1967 with six interceptions and 1968 with ten interceptions. In 1967, Scott was named first-team All-SEC defensive back by the Associated Press, and in 1968 again in both the AP and the UPI. The ten interceptions in a season is now second-most in Georgia history behind Terry Hoage’s 12 in 1982. Scott’s 175 return yards on interceptions in 1968 is also second all-time for Georgia.

Scott began his professional career in 1969 in the Canadian Football League as a flanker and kick returner with the BC Lions. He was drafted by the Dolphins in seventh round of the 1970 NFL Draft, where in his rookie year, he recorded five interceptions and returned one punt return for touchdown. The following year, he recorded seven interceptions and 318 punt return yards, helping the team reach Super Bowl VI, which they lost 24-3 to the Dallas Cowboys. Scott recorded a 21-yard punt return in the game.

Scott was inducted into the State of Georgia Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Athens (GA) Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

In the late 1980s, NFL Films named Scott as the Dolphins All-Time Neutralizer sponsored by Tums. He was inducted into the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame in 1998. The Professional Football Researchers Association named Scott to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2007

Jake Scott was inducted with Bill Stanfill into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll on November 18, 2010.

It was announced on May 17, 2011 that Scott had been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.