What an exciting time to be part of Ram Nation.
Colorado State Rams football is on the rise and Mike Bobo has the team in a great spot considering he just wrapped up the first head coaching season in his career, leading the green and gold to the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
And beyond winning on the field, CSU is looking forward to the rise of their new on-campus football stadium.
All that recognition is paying off. For a third straight season, it looks like the Rams will send at least one player to the NFL — Rashard Higgins — while DeAndre Elliott joined him at the NFL Combine.
While Higgins went on Saturday — watch him compete here — Elliott’s time to shine was Monday morning with the rest of the defensive backs.
The group started off at 7 a.m. MT, Monday, running their 40-yard dashes. Elliott’s first 40 was a 4.57u. His second was much faster, it seemed, at 4.44u. Later, officially, it was timed at 4.55, which is still solid for the young man looking to land in the NFL.
#CSURams DeAndre Elliott running a 4.44 40 at the #NFLCombine
🐑🏈🔥 pic.twitter.com/6cIUdzOnon
— Stan (@Stanton_G) February 29, 2016
Elliott’s Combine numbers:
40-yard dash: 4.55
Vertical leap: 41.0 inches (2nd best at his position, 41.5)
Broad jump: 125.0 inches (5th best at his position, 135.0)
Three-cone drill: 6.93 seconds (8th best at his position, 6.64)
Twenty yard shuttle: 3.94 seconds (2nd best at his position, 3.93)
Here’s Elliott in positional drills. He has a great break but then drops the ball. You can see the disappointment in his face as he runs:
https://twitter.com/RichKurtzman/status/704377585124249600
Elliott is a redshirt senior who started 26-35 games he played in over the last three seasons; he was arguably CSU’s most consistent cornerback over that time frame. He led the Rams with two interceptions last season and added a blocked field goal in the road win over New Mexico. That blocked kick swung the momentum in the Rams’ direction and they capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
During his last three years Elliott racked up 90 total tackles, five interceptions, a fumble recovery and the blocked field goal.
Now, we’re all hoping he finds a home in the NFL.
Scouts are saying his size, at 6-foot-1, will draw much attention. But, his lack of recovery speed may scare some teams away. We’ll have to wait and see.
