Keith Hector Elias (born February 3, 1972) is a former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) and XFL. He was an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

in high school and college where he established school, conference and national records while playing for the

Princeton Tigers football The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University and competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Championship, Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member ...

team. In high school, he earned All-American honors at

Lacey Township High School Lacey Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which opera ...

. In college, he did so again for

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, where he established 21 school records in football from 1991 through 1993. His college career coincided in the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...

with

Jay Fiedler Jay Brian Fiedler (born December 29, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Dartmouth Big Green. He played 76 games at quarterback ...

who led Dartmouth to three championships in that era, but Elias was able to lead Princeton to one co-championship. Elias and Fiedler split the League Player of the Year Awards during that era. He is the former

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA)

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (F ...

(FCS, called I-AA at the time) record holder for career rushing yards per game and

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

per game. He also established the FCS record for back-to-back games total rushing yards. He continues to hold numerous

and Princeton Tigers rushing and scoring records. Elias was signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

out of college by the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

where he played from

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

through

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

. He served mostly on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

. He last played in the NFL two seasons with the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. Elias also played for the

New York/New Jersey Hitmen The New York/New Jersey Hitmen were an American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Hitmen were the members of the Eastern Division of the XFL. The team played their home games in Giants Stadium of the Meadowlands Sports Com ...

of the now defunct XFL.

Early life

Although NFL records state that Elias was born in Lacey Township, Elias claims that he was born in

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...

, Virginia. Then he says his family moved to Brooklyn before settling in New Jersey. Elias considers himself from Lacey Township, New Jersey, which is a

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

area community. Elias is the son of Nancy, a teacher and

Pop Warner football Pop Warner Little Scholars, commonly known simply as Pop Warner, is a nonprofit organization that provides activities such as American football, for over 425,000 youths aged 5 to 16 years old, in several nations. It is the largest youth football ...

coach, and Hector, a transportation consultant, and has three younger brothers. Elias played Pop Warner football for the Lacey team, who retired his number 20. Elias rushed for 4,014 yards and scored 363 points for

. As a student, he finished fifth in his graduating class of 278. As a football player, he was named an All-American by the

Downtown Athletic Club The Downtown Athletic Club, also known as the Downtown Club, was a private social and athletic club that operated from 1926 to 2002 at 20 West Street, within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The Downtown Athletic Cl ...

. In addition to football, Elias earned two

varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...

s in wrestling.

College career

Sophomore season (1991)

Elias debuted for the

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

on the opening day of the 1991 season, which was September 21 for Princeton, with 110 yards on 18 carries. His performance was part of a

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

of the heavily favored

Cornell Big Red The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports and other competitive teams that represent Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The university sponsors 37 varsity sports, and several intramural sports, intramural and club teams. Cornell ...

18–0. He earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on September 23. Two weeks later on October 5, he recorded his first 200-yard game and his first three-

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

effort in a 30–21 victory over the Colgate Red Raiders. This earned him his first Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week award. On October 19, he helped Princeton reach a 5–0 record with well over 100

yards from scrimmage Yards from scrimmage is a gridiron football statistical measure. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the offensive team by advancing ...

and two touchdowns. He had just 67 yards rushing but had three receptions for 62 yards on one 76-yard scoring drive alone. On November 16, he had 142 yards rushing and two touchdowns in spite of two

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

s and a wrist injury against

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

to help Princeton reach a 5–1 Ivy League record as it headed towards a season-ending showdown with 5–0–1 Dartmouth. This earned him his second Ivy League Rookie of the Week award. The Tigers were defeated by a

-led Dartmouth team for the Ivy League Championship the following week however. He earned second-team All-Ivy League recognition.

Junior season (1992)

Following their 1991 performance, the 1992 Tigers were Ivy League favorites. In a game that was believed to be a deciding factor in the conference championship outcome, Elias had 114 yards on opening day against

Cornell Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since ...

in a 22–20 victory on September 19. The following week on September 26, Elias established the Princeton single-game rushing record with a 299-yard four-touchdown effort in a 38–35 victory against the , surpassing Homer Smith's 40-year-old 273-yard record. Elias received his second Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week award after the match. Then on October 3, he rushed for 273 yards in a 44–33 victory over Lafayette. In the game, he became the first Princeton runner to post back-to-back 200-yard games and the first Princeton runner to post three career 200-yard games. He repeated as Ivy League Offensive Player of the week. After three games he led all NCAA divisions in rushing with a 228.7 yards per game average, while

Marshall Faulk Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons and is the current running backs coach at the Colorado ...

led

Division I-A The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

, now known as

Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

, with a 209.3 average. The total of 572 yards in back-to-back games established an NCAA Division I-AA record. By rushing for 139 in the subsequent game against

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

on October 10, he tied the I-AA three-game rushing yard record of 711 yards. However, he injured his ankle and the subsequent week, he only rushed three times for two yards as Princeton fell to 4–1 by losing to Holy Cross on October 17. He was expected to be sidelined due to the injury when Princeton faced

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

on October 24, but he rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns, leading Princeton to a 21–6 victory and a 3–0 conference record. On October 31, he rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries against Columbia. That week he surpassed

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

-winner

Dick Kazmaier Richard William Kazmaier Jr. (November 23, 1930 – August 1, 2013) was an American businessman and naval lieutenant. He played college football as a halfback for the Princeton Tigers from 1949 through 1951 and was the winner of the 1951 Hei ...

for fourth place on the all-time Princeton career rushing yards list. On November 7, he rushed for 131 yards against Penn as Princeton eliminated one of its one-loss conference foes from contention. He tallied 140 yards on 20 carries as Princeton clinched a share of the Ivy League title by moving to 6–0 with a victory over

. In the game, he moved inherited the school single-season rushing yards record by moving his total to 1368, ahead of Judd Garrett's 1347. Despite a 207-yard two-touchdown rushing effort by Elias, Fiedler once again led Dartmouth to a season-ending victory over Princeton, this time for a share of the Ivy League championship. Although Fiedler was named Ivy League Player of the Year, Elias was one of six other unanimous 1992 first-team All-Ivy League selections. Elias, however, was a I-AA

selection by organizations such as

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

(selected by the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

) and the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

. His 157.5 yards per game earned him the 1992 NCAA I-AA statistical championship. Elias nicknamed his

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

"The Beast" and called fullback Peter Bailey and

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

Chris Beiswenger, "the Killer B's". In the offense, he usually was the tailback in the

I formation The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical (as viewed from the opposing endzone) alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly wh ...

Senior season (1993)

As a senior, Elias was elected co-

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

and was considered the biggest media sensation on the campus in the past several years.

enjoyed a third straight season-opening victory over

on September 18. After falling behind 12–0 Elias contributed a 72-yard rushing touchdown and a 67-yard receiving touchdown as part of a 188-yard rushing day (259 all purpose yards). Elias earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. The following week Elias added 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns as Princeton defeated Lafayette 21–7. On October 2, Elias scored touchdowns on Princeton's first four possessions, which helped Princeton build a 31–0 lead over Holy Cross. The final score was 38–0 as Elias tallied 185 yards on 29 carries. Elias again earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. On October 9, Elias broke Garrett's Princeton career rushing yard record of 3109 and his career touchdown record of 40 on a day when he rushed for 206 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 34–16 victory over

. On October 16, despite missing the first two offensive series due to a

hip pointer A hip pointer is a contusion on the pelvis caused by a direct blow or a bad fall at an iliac crest and/or hip bone and a bruise of the abdominal muscles (transverse and oblique abdominal muscles). Surrounding structures such as the tensor fascia ...

injury, Elias posted his tenth consecutive 100-yard game with a 160-yard one-touchdown effort in a 31–23 victory over , who established a Princeton opponent record by passing for 403 yards. At the midpoint of Princeton's 10-game schedule, Elias led the I-AA in rushing with a 172 yards per game average. On October 23 against

, Elias rushed for 201 yards on 33 carries and ran for two touchdowns in a 21–110 victory for the undefeated Tigers. Despite his efforts he lost the I-AA rushing lead to

Tony Vinson Tony Vinson (11 November 1935 – 17 February 2017) was an Australian academic, regarded as "one of Australia's leading social scientists and outspoken public intellectuals". His career spanned the disciplines of social work, social policy, ps ...

by a 177–176.7 margin. Elias responded with a 226-yard effort on October 30 against Columbia as Princeton moved to 7–0 and 4–0 in conference. The effort earned Elias his sixth and final career Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week award. The game set up a November battle of unbeatens against Penn on November 6. In the contest, Penn held Elias to just 59 yards on 15 carries, as Penn took over the Ivy League lead with a 30–14 victory. On November 13, as Princeton clung to hopes of at least a share of the Ivy League title, Elias rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries in a 28–7 victory over

. Elias broke Garrett's 4,510-yard school career all-purpose yards record with a 4,529 total and extended his own single-season touchdowns (19) and points (116) records. On November 20, Elias rushed for 188 yards to help Princeton build a 22–8 fourth quarter lead that did not stand up to Fiedler who led Dartmouth to its third consecutive season-ending victory over Princeton. That November, Vinson set the current I-AA record for yards gained in two consecutive games (691), a record Elias had set the prior season. Vinson set the single-game and single-season rushing yards record and won the season statistical championship over Elias. Elias finished second in single-season yards per game to Vinson. Elias beat out Fiedler and Jim McGeehan (quarterback of the undefeated Penn team) for the

Asa S. Bushnell Asa Smith Bushnell I (September 16, 1834 – January 15, 1904) was an American U.S. Republican Party, Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 40th governor of Ohio. Before becoming governor, he served as the president of the Warder, Bu ...

Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year. He also repeated as an All-American selection. He was recognized as one of fifteen scholar athletes by the

National Football Foundation The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and develop "the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academi ...

, earning an $18,000 ($ today) postgraduate scholarship. Elias retired as the NCAA FCS career recordholder in rushing yards per game (140.3) and points per game (10.7), having surpassed Mike Clark of

Akron Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had ...

(133, 1984–86) and Joel Sigel of

Portland State Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...

(9.3, 1978–80). His yardage record was surpassed in 1995 by Arnold Mickens of

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

who is the current recordholder with 190.7 yards per game. His points record was eclipsed in 1998 by Aaron Stecker, Western Illinois with an 11.7 average. Upon the completion of his career, his name was listed atop many All-time lists in the Ivy League record book. He also retired second to

Ed Marinaro Ed Marinaro (born March 31, 1950) is an American actor and former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Cornell Big Red, where he was a u ...

in numerous categories (Career rushing yards, Ivy career rushing yards, single-season rushing yards, Single-Ivy season rushing yards, career 200-yard games, single-season 200-yard games, career rushing touchdowns, Ivy career rushing touchdowns, single-season rushing touchdowns, Ivy career points, single-season points, single Ivy season points, Ivy career touchdowns, single-season touchdowns, single-Ivy season touchdowns, career all-purpose yards). However, many of his and Marinaro's records have been surpassed. Elias surpassed Marinaro for career points and tied with him for touchdowns, but both records were bettered by Nick Hartigan. He also passed Marinaro in single-season all-purpose yards in 1993 by a 1939–1932 margin but was surpassed by Johnathan Reese in 2000. He continues to be the only Ivy Leaguer to have two 1500-yard seasons. He retired with 4 I-AA records and 21 school records including rushing (4,208 yards), rushing touchdowns (49), yards rushing per game (140.3), carries (736), carries per game (24.5), yards per carry (5.72), all-purpose yards (4,739), overall touchdowns (52) and points (320). He also retired with 21 100-yard rushing games and seven 200-yards games.

Professional career

After going undrafted in the

1994 NFL draft The 1994 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1994, at the Marriott Ma ...

, Elias signed with the

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

. The

1994 NFL season The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed, and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season. ...

was the first year that rosters expanded to 53, and Elias made the roster out of training camp. He made the roster ahead of 1994 third round draft choice running back Gary Downs. That season, he was originally assigned the number 25, but he eventually took the number 20. On September 11, 1994, against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

, Elias sprained his ankle. The injury hampered him for several weeks. After two games of special team duties, he spent the remainder of the season on the inactive list. Following the season, he was left unprotected in the 1995 NFL expansion draft to stock the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

and

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

. When the Giants lost the second of their unprotected players in the draft they made Elias unavailable. Entering the

1995 NFL season The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two expansion teams were slotted into the two ...

, Elias was not expected to make the 1995 team. However, in the first preseason game, he scored the Giants' only touchdown, and the next week he ran for 77 yards on just 12 carries; After two preseason games, he led the Giants roster of running backs that included

Rodney Hampton Rodney Craig Hampton (born April 3, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selec ...

Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election ...

, Kenyon Rasheed, Downs, Charles Way, and

Tyrone Wheatley Tyrone Anthony Wheatley Sr. (born January 19, 1972) is an American college football coach and former professional player who is the head football coach for Wayne State University, a position he has held since 2023. Previously, he served as th ...

in rushing with 123 yards. The following week, he blocked a punt that the Giants recovered for a touchdown and scored the winning

two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...

. After three preseason games, Elias had moved from likely to be released to almost a lock to make the team. Elias finished the preseason as the team's leading rusher with 214 yards on 37 carries and made the team. Elias again contributed on special teams, but in the first ten games, he only had ten yards on four carries. Late in the season, Elias moved into the role of the first man off the bench to spell Hampton who was the starter in place of Wheatley who had held the role early in the season. He finished the season with 10 rushes for 44 yards and 9 receptions for 69 yards. Following the season, the Giants opted to release Walker and expected to be unable to resign Hampton. That season, Elias' popularity made him one of the most sought after

public speaker Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

s on the team and earned him nearly $50,000 ($). Elias entered the

1996 NFL season The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end. Most significantly, the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy resulted in a then-u ...

as the likely third down back for the 1996 team. In 1995 no one had emerged to replace Dave Meggett in that role. Elias again had strong preseason performances. In one early August exhibition game he scored two touchdowns. By August 22, he led the Giants in preseason carries. He entered the season as the first option third down back, ahead of Wheatley. In the September 30 contest against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

John Randle John Anthony Randle (born December 12, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for eleven seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football Leagu ...

picked fights with some of the Giants, including Elias. Elias suffered

turf toe Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

in that game and it affected him in the next as well. He also had an October ankle injury, which consisted of both a

sprain A sprain is a soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. Ligaments are tough, inelastic fibers made of collagen that connect two or ...

and a

bone chip Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed. It often refers to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). The term ''dissecans'' refers to the "creation of a flap of cartilage that further dissect ...

. That injury kept him out of the lineup, making Wheatley the third down back by default. Elias did not get his third down role back until mid-November. When he finally returned to this role, he was able to perform as needed. However, he was soon suffering from a torn

posterior cruciate ligament The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the Medial condyl ...

and a damaged

meniscus Meniscus may refer to: *Meniscus (anatomy), crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity *Meniscus (liquid) In physics (particularly liquid statics), the meniscus (: menisci, ) is the curve in the upper sur ...

in need of surgery and was lost for the season. He had immediate November surgery, which revealed that the ligament was 90% torn, but would heal on its own. It kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the season, however. He finished the season on injured reserve. During the offseason, he got involved as a

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

for the

Westchester Philharmonic The Westchester Philharmonic is a professional symphony orchestra based in Westchester County, New York, United States. The orchestra performs in the concert hall of the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. The orchestra was founded in 19 ...

. As the Giants prepared for the 1997 NFL draft they attempted to resign Elias. In 1997, he earned the Unsung hero award from the

. Elias did not play for the

during the

1997 NFL season The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. The newly renamed Tennessee Oilers played their home games during this season at the Lib ...

, and he did not sign with the

until the

1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season culminated with Super Bowl XXXIII, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. The Broncos ha ...

. He had an offer from the 1997 Carolina Panthers, but he tested the market too long and lost it. He spent 1997 coaching his high school alma mater's football team where his brother, Greg, was playing. He was the running backs and special teams coach. After three seasons with the Giants he served as special teams captain with the

. He also served as the backup to

and

Edgerrin James Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hur ...

. The Colts resigned him to a second one-year contract for the

1999 NFL season The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season (NFL), regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 NFL season, 1995 season, while the Tennessee Oilers chan ...

. He scored the game-winning touchdown in the final preseason game on September 2. Following the season he was arrested on charges of

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...

and

resisting arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be Interroga ...

at a barroom brawl in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. His 20-year-old brothers Brian and Gregory as well as

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

Wayne Chrebet were also arrested. Elias jumped on a police officer who was attempting to handcuff one of his brothers. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Brian Elias was engaged to Jennifer Chrebet, Wayne's sister, but the ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' reported that they were married. When the case was heard in court, the three Elias brothers and Chrebet all pleaded guilty to a

public nuisance In English criminal law, public nuisance is an act, condition or thing that is illegal because it interferes with the rights of the general public. In Australia In ''Kent v Johnson'', the Supreme Court of the ACT held that public nuisance is ...

violation and paid fines of $230 apiece. Chrebet pleaded guilty in absentia via a legal representative. After playing two years for the Colts on special teams, while rushing for 52 yards on 21 carries, Elias' veteran salary would not fit under the

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...

for the 2000 team. Thus, Elias did not play in the NFL during the

2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants, 34–7, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Week 1 of ...

. In November 2000, Elias attended the minicamp of the

of the XFL who were scheduled to begin play the following February. He hoped to survive roster cuts as the team went from 70 men to a 38-man roster. Elias made the team as a backup running back. In the early season games, he saw plenty of action as a ball carrier, even though he was struggling with a knee injury. However, in March, he was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

. Elias hasn't participated in a season since and during the season Elias prepared for life after football by writing

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

Personal life

Elias is a

born again Christian To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

. In 2000, Elias married his longtime girlfriend Barbara Fury. The couple had dated since 1993. The couple divorced in 2004, and Barbara remarried. Elias is married to Christa Tafaro of

Jackson Township, New Jersey Jackson Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Ocean County, New Jersey, Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A portion of the township is located within the Pinelands National Reserve. As of the 2020 United States census, 2 ...

Notes

External links

*
Elias archive
at ''

''
Keith Elias
at ''

Pro-Football-Reference.com Pro Football Reference (PFR) is an online statistics database for professional American football maintained by Sports Reference. The site provides career statistics for players, teams, and games, as well as records and NFL draft history. PFR was ...

''
Elias
at

NFL.com The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The ...

*
Personal speaking website

Keith Elias at ''Building on the Rock Community Church''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elias, Keith 1972 births Living people Lacey Township High School alumni Sportspeople from Lacey Township, New Jersey Players of American football from Ocean County, New Jersey American football running backs Princeton Tigers football players New York Giants players Indianapolis Colts players New York/New Jersey Hitmen players