SEC Football to Bobsledding: Elliot Markuson unveils his story from the football field to the bobsled track

OXFORD, Miss. – Growing up in Oxford, Mississippi, a few things were certain for Elliot Markuson. In the fall, his Saturdays would be spent in the Grove, and come springtime, his weekend plans would be dictated by the home schedule of Mike Bianco’s diamond Rebels. What Markuson didn’t know was that in his early 30s, he would be competing for a potential spot on the USA Bobsled Olympic team 20 hours away from home in Lake Placid, New York.

Oxford

Ever since he could remember, Markuson was surrounded by the game of football, aspiring to pursue a collegiate career wherever he got the chance. As a kid, his dad, Mike, was the offensive line coach for Ole Miss under Houston Nutt, where Elliot’s love for football grew and eventually blossomed into something serious.

After an all-district senior year at Lafayette High School, the Oxford native joined the Ole Miss football team in 2013 as a tight end.

“I think it was always something I wanted to do… playing college football was something I was always going to do.” – Markuson on pursuing a college football career

Spending a majority of his time in college under head coach Hugh Freeze, Markuson is one of a few athletes to have beaten Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide back-to-back in 2014 & 2015. In his final season during 2017, the linebacker took on a special teams role, appearing in seven games, including a season finale win over Mississippi State.

“That team had been through so much adversity from getting a new head coach in Matt Luke and not being postseason eligible due to the bans… going out like that on a high note on Thanksgiving was something I’ll never forget.” – Markuson on the Egg Bowl win

Thank you 2017 Seniors!!!!@OleMissFB

Elliot Markuson, A.J. Moore, Herbert Moore, and Markell Pack pic.twitter.com/JX8vzt2D6h

— Joshua Taylor McCoy (@OleMissPix) November 19, 2017

China

As his time at Ole Miss came to a close, Markuson was convinced that the next step in his career was with the athletic administration under Keith Carter, who he established a strong relationship with during his time as a player. In the process of debating his future plans, Elliot decided to switch the trajectory of his life and move to China, where he collaborated with former Michigan football player Chris McClaurin to teach Chinese children American football.

Despite creating countless memories in his 14 months overseas, Markuson says his time in China was highlighted by a visit with his dad, Mike. Together, the father and son duo had the chance to spread their knowledge of football to a wide variety of youth Chinese players while also taking visits to the Great Wall and Beijing.

“They got to fly my dad out to China… We got to coach these Chinese football players together, so that was a really big highlight for me. He got to come back and see where I was living, so it was awesome.” – Markuson on his favorite memory from China

Nashville

Upon entering the states, Markuson relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he received a letter in the mail from a USA speed skating coach informing him of an opportunity to be considered for a show called “The Next Olympic Hopeful.” The show’s objective was to capture athletes from entirely different backgrounds in their journey competing for an Olympic spot on Team USA.

Despite fully preparing for the show, Markuson received a letter in the mail informing him of its cancellation due to COVID. After hearing the news, most people would have kept the letter as memorabilia from Team USA and resumed their nine-to-five job career. Fortunately, Elliot did the complete opposite and decided to get in touch with the development coach for the Team USA Bobsled team.

“I was thinking to myself, Herschel Walker was a bobsledder, and he was an Olympian. I feel like I have enough grit and hard work in me to try this.” – Markuson on his initial bobsled impression

As conversations became more frequent, Team USA offered Elliot the opportunity to showcase his abilities in a virtual tryout, getting him one step closer to achieving his goals.

Three long weeks had gone by, and Markuson finally got a phone call and received news that in three days, he would be relocated to Lake Placid, New York, to begin bobsled training.

Lake Placid

17.5 hours from Nashville, Markuson arrived at Lake Placid, alongside two former Division I track runners and a former SMU football player for training. For the next month, the team was stationed in a resort on the lake, where they lived for the entire month, observing and gaining an abundance of bobsled knowledge.

“It was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of SEC football, that’s for sure… I kind of got a crash course in Team USA bobsledding.” – Markuson on his first month in Lake Placid

Little did Markuson know that because of a month-long crash course in bobsledding, the next five years of his life would consist of North American Cup races, intersquad competitions, and several other fascinating opportunities across the United States for bobsledding.

“If you would have told me in 2018 when I graduated from Ole Miss that in the next couple of years I’d be competing in a winter sport for Team USA, I probably would’ve slapped you.” – Markuson on his journey to bobsledding

Consistency & hard work beat talent, when talent refuses to be consistent or work hard. pic.twitter.com/5QUxz7LTgp

— Elliot Markuson (@EMarky80) January 25, 2024

Over the course of his five seasons, Markuson has found himself settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he trains year-round as an Olympic hopeful for Team USA in 2026.

Known as the only bobsledder from the state of Mississippi, Markuson has done a great deal of reflection over the past few years and continues to credit the people of Oxford for their continuous motivation and inspiration.

“My upbringing in Oxford means everything to me, it’s my home… When people ask me where I’m from, I proudly say where I’m from and wear the badge of honor to be the first from Mississippi doing this kind of stuff. I want to give as much thanks to the Oxford community for being the home that I can always come back to no matter where I’m at in the world.” – Markuson on his hometown

Moving forward as he continues to chase his Olympian dreams, The Rebel Walk has you covered with updates, quotes, and all of your Team USA bobsled coverage.