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Ohio State running back has impressive Iowa lineage
October 17, 2013 | Andrew Logue
Ohio State freshman running back Ezekiel Elliott, right, has a significant athleticism pool to pull from. His father, Stacy Elliott, was an outside linebacker at Missouri. His mother, the former Dawn Huff (left) of Mount Ayr, ran track for the Tigers and was the Des Moines Register’s 1990 female high school athlete of the year. (Special to the Register)
Not only is Ezekiel Elliott adding to a legacy, he’s quickening the pace.
“He has one speed,” his mother, Dawn Elliott, explained. “He’s always over the top, 110 percent.”
In other words, Ohio State’s freshman running back is picking up where previous generations left off.
His mother, the former Dawn Huff of Mount Ayr, was the Des Moines Register’s 1990 female high school athlete of the year. She’ll be cheering for scarlet and gray when the Buckeyes host Iowa at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
“He just always loved sports,” Dawn said of Ezekiel. “Since he was a little guy, like maybe 2 … If he couldn’t find a ball, he’d get some socks balled up and throw them.”
Ezekiel’s grandfather, Leon Huff, played basketball for Drake, earning a place on the school’s all-decade team of the 1970s before embarking on a professional career in Finland.
Dawn was raised by her grandparents and blossomed into a four-sport star in Mount Ayr. She went on to run track for Missouri, where Dawn met and married Stacy Elliott, an outside linebacker on the Tigers’ football team.
You might think having parents who were NCAA Division I athletes would make the recruiting process easier for their son.
You would be wrong.
“So much has changed in this process from 25 years ago,” Dawn said. “Just with all of the social media … I don’t ever remember it being that overwhelming when I was recruited.
“I guess it’s because you had the home phone and there wasn’t call-waiting back then. You weren’t as easily accessible.”
cont..
Would love to see Elliot get the chance for a couple more 100 yard rushing games over the next few weeks. He just seems like a combination of several RB"s we've had here over the years. Wouldn't mind seeing him some more so he can get some more experience.
Agreed, he looks like a combination of a number of Osu RBs. He's going to be star in our offense. Though it may take him a while to take sole possession of the position because of our sick depth. Can't wait to see him get more carries against Illinois and purdue, because this kid can ball. I don't think anyone is bothered this year by us getting EZE and not Derrick green, lol
With his combination of track speed, football speed, great vision, and the ability to run around and over guys. Elliott reminds me the most of Robert smith. Very versatile RB that could honestly take over the spot by himself, but due to depth will be part of a committee. His stellar play so far, better put guys the rest of the crew on notice. Some guys will be passed up, EzE is simply balling
Because I agree with the first comment, I have to disagree with the second one. Dunn might be lurking in the shadows somewhere but we'll have to wait and see. If Zeke continues to learn, develop, and follow all of the rules, it will be very hard to take any carries away from him.
I don't mean just Dunn, but you're forgetting that Wilson will certainly get carries, smith will get touches, and ball might see some as well. And I'm not even including incoming true frosh Curtis Samuel and parris Campbell, who could play WR/RB, so they'll see carries from handoffs and screens. But it's good to know that Elliott could be a guy that we could give the ball to 20-25 times and take over a game, but with that depth I see urban using multiple guys like he does now and has done in the past.
I am really going to miss THE BEAST and J. Hall but Rod Smith and Ezekiel Elliott are going to be a powerful one/two punch in the backfield. Sprinkle in some Dontre Wilson, and, of course Braxton and I don't think we lose much. The question will not be in the backfield but along the OL. Warriner has proven that he is a great OL Coach so let's hope that he can help develop Decker, Baldwin, Boren, Elfein, Lisle, etc. into a solid unit.