Since becoming Clemson’s running backs coach in 2011, Tony Elliott has coached his fair share of good running backs. He coached Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington in ’11 and ’12 and then Roderick McDowell in 2013.
Of course he later coached New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman, who took over as the Tigers’ starting tailback midway through the 2014 season and never relinquished it. Ellington and Gallman both recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, while McDowell rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his only season as a starter.
With Gallman now running for the Giants, Clemson is looking for a new “alpha-male” in its running back room and Elliott says they have four good candidates who can do it.