Keith Elias

Keith Elias
Elias during a speaking engagement in Iraq, 2008.
No. 20, 23, 22
PositionRunning back
Personal information
Born (1972-02-03) February 3, 1972
Lacey Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High schoolLacey Township
CollegePrinceton
NFL draft1994: undrafted
Career history
Awards and highlights
  • Current and former NCAA FCS records
  • Career yards per game (140.3)
  • Career points per game (10.7)
  • Total rushing yards in 2 consecutive games (572)
  • Total rushing yards in 3 consecutive games (711)
Current and former Ivy League records
  • Career points (320)
  • Career touchdowns (52)
  • Single-season all-purpose yards
  • Career 1500-yard seasons (2)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards124
Rushing average3
Receptions22
Receiving yards147
Return yards399
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Keith Hector Elias (born February 3, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and XFL. He was an All-American in high school and college where he established school, conference and national records while playing for the Princeton Tigers.

In high school, he earned All-American honors at Lacey Township High School. In college, he did so again for Princeton University, where he established 21 school records in football from 1991 through 1993. His college career coincided in the Ivy League with Jay Fiedler 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 (NCAA) Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, called I-AA at the time) record holder for career rushing yards per game and points per game. He also established the FCS record for back-to-back games total rushing yards. He continues to hold numerous Ivy League and Princeton Tigers rushing and scoring records.

Elias was signed as a free agent out of college by the New York Giants where he played from 1994 through 1996. He served mostly on special teams. He last played in the NFL two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 and 1999. Elias also played for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the now defunct XFL.