Miami Hurricanes defensive back Corn Elder is staying calm in the eye of the storm leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft.
“The attention started coming my way during my sophomore year.”
Before the current wave of pro scouts week after week, they were college scouts in those days. Every week, they came to The Ensworth School in southwest Nashville to see Cornelius Elder, star running back and Mr. Football candidate, regularly reel off 100 or 200-yard performances (or even 300 yards against Nashville rivals, Montgomery Bell). Then came the offers.
By the time Elder’s senior season rolled around, he had his choice of major offers from around the country. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native put up 39 rushing touchdowns and a 9.15 yards/carry average his final season at Ensworth, and it was easy to project his athleticism to have similar success at the next level.
Local schools like Vanderbilt and Tennessee came calling, of course. Regional options like Ole Miss and Auburn also offered. The Midwest also joined in with offers from Ohio State and Iowa and Nebraska. They even came from as far as UCLA, but in the end, it was the Miami Hurricanes in South Florida who won the chance to see Elder in their uniform.
“I’ve wanted to play in the NFL ever since I was a kid, when I first started playing football,” says Elder. “I started playing when I was four.”
Elder points to the attention he found in high school as the turning point, the moment it went from a childhood dream to a serious pursuit as he realized he had the talent to really give professional sports a chance.
“I really felt that in high school, just being one of the top players in the country and getting recruited by a lot of the top colleges,” he said. “I felt like that I had the ability then to be successful and make it to the NFL.”
Upon joining Miami, despite two Mr. Football titles to his name as a heralded running back, the 5-foot-10, 183-pound athlete decided to permanently switch sides. He also eventually pared down to a single sport after also initially hoping to play basketball for Miami as well. Solely focused on football, Elder began to thrive in his new position, drawing the same sort of attention he did back at Ensworth.
Despite the individual accolades that come with being named first-team All-ACC, Elder says the statistic that makes him most proud is one accomplished by the Hurricanes this season.
“I am most proud of our team this year and being a part of the first Miami team to win a bowl game [Russell Athletic Bowl] in the last 10 or so years. I am definitely proud of that. We were the start of something special in the making.”
For now, Elder is waiting patiently for the NFL Draft, to be held April 27-29, rolling with the private workouts, numerous interviews, pro day prep and more. It can all add up to a lot, but Elder says he’s learned to keep everything in perspective.
“I’m feeling good. I’m very excited. This is something that I’ve dreamed of all my life to be in this position, so I’m just excited to be here. I’m enjoying the moment. There’s a lot going on right now and everything, but I’m blessed to be in this position. I’m just staying positive and enjoying everything that comes with it.”
Despite the uncertainty of the upcoming draft, not knowing where or when he will get drafted, Elder says he’s staying relatively calm. The advice received from former teammates and current coaches tell him to take it day by day and not to get caught up in the process too much.
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“I’ve talked to some guys who I’ve played with who are in the NFL now, just trying to get their advice,” he says. “They’ve been helpful for me. They just tell me to enjoy the moment, stay focused and tell me how I have to be patient my first year. A lot of guys say that about the first year, that it’s the longest. Once you finish your college season, then you’re training for the Combine and everything, so they tell me to just be patient with everything and enjoy it.
“I’m not really nervous. I don’t really get nervous a lot,” he continues. “This is something I’ve been doing my whole life. Of course, now it’s all against the best players in the country, the professionals and everything, but I’m just excited and enjoying the moment and I’m just ready to get to work.”