K-State linebacker Elijah Sullivan ready to take advantage of extra year
Elijah Sullivan is no longer bothered by what happened last football season.
Disappointing as it was for the junior Kansas State linebacker to play in just three games before missing the rest of the year because of leg injuries that required surgery, he is now able to shrug that off as bad luck. The frustration he felt watching the Wildcats miss out on a bowl game without him faded away when the NCAA granted him a medical hardship.
Sullivan still has two years of eligibility remaining as a college football player, and he’s too thankful about that to regret anything that happened months ago.
“It was a rough year for me, but we are getting back on track,” Sullivan said. “It meant a lot for me, because it lets me relax a little more. It lets you know you’ve got another year left and you need to take advantage of it. I’m just glad I got the year back, with so much that I put into it last spring and summer thinking I was going to start last year. Having it all back, I feel like I am in a more comfortable position right now.”
He is also once again aiming for a starting role in the middle of K-State’s defense. Though Sullivan is still waiting for the green light to tackle anyone in practice “for precautionary reasons,” he feels back at full strength otherwise. His body responded well to rehab and he looks back to his old self during no-contact drills.
Teammates and coaches say he is clearly one of the best three linebackers on the roster, along with Justin Hughes and DaQuan Patton.
Sullivan’s speed makes him a nice fit in Chris Klieman’s defense, which gives linebackers more freedom to run sideline to sideline and make plays than what K-State fans saw in the past.
“Eli is a young man who is very gifted athletically,” defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton said. “He really fits in with what we are trying to do. He is explosive, he can run, he has really good range, he understands the game and he is a good, natural, instinctual linebacker. I like the kid a bunch.”
Sullivan is looking forward to showing off what he can do in front of a live crowd April 13 at K-State’s Spring Showcase and build on that next season. Right now, he’s still more focused on staying healthy than delivering hits. Once that changes, he thinks fans will see some big changes from him.
“Just making plays, running around and flying around making tackles. I can do that,” Sullivan said. “It’s a wide range of things I’m expecting to do next season.”
Sullivan has played in 27 games and made three starts for the Wildcats. He came on strong as a sophomore with 28 tackles and seemed ready to do bigger things as a junior, but that season was cut short due to injury.
He now gets the rare opportunity for a do-over. He’s ready to take advantage.
“There shouldn’t be anything that holds me back,” Sullivan said. “We have a lot of guys back on defense who have experience. It’s just about keeping the ball rolling. I’m just excited to get back out there playing again.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 12:23 PM.