Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott was the first of the former Buckeyes’ skill position players to take the field and run through drills at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana Friday. In his first of two runs in the 40-yard dash, Elliott ran an unofficial time of 4.46 seconds, which was nearly one-tenth of a second better than the first run of former University of Alabama running back Derrick Henry, who guided the Crimson Tide to the National Championship with a Heisman Trophy-winning 2015 season. Elliott ran his second 40-yard dash in an unofficial time of 4.48 seconds, which again was better than the 4.52-second time Henry posted. Unofficially, Elliott finished with the 11th-best 40-yard dash time of all the running backs who elected to participate in the drill. Considered the top running back prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft by several media outlets, Elliott, who elected not to participate in the bench press, came into the NFL Scouting Combine as one of the most heralded rushers in Ohio State history. After leading the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2014, Elliott followed up his MVP performance with an 1,821-yard, 23-touchdown season in 2015. Elliott surpassed the 100-yard mark in all but one of the Buckeyes’ games this past year, led by the 274 he gained at Indiana and the 214 he posted in a 42-13 road win over Michigan. During the run to the National Championship as a sophomore, Elliott rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-0 win over the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship Game, also at Lucas Oil Stadium, and followed it up with 230 yards and two scores in the Sugar Bowl Semifinal win over Alabama. Elliott was the only running back in the 2014 season to have 100 or more yards against the Crimson Tide, and surpassed the century mark in the first half. He was the first rusher to gain at least 200 yards against Alabama since Auburn’s Carnell “Cadillac” Williams accomplished the feat in the 2003 Iron Bowl. Then, Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns, both Ohio State bowl records, on 36 carries in the victory over the favored Oregon Ducks. In his final two games as a Buckeye, Elliott shined…
Continue Reading: Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott runs at NFL Scouting Combine
