He was Florida's lone preseason All-American and he's likely to be a first-round pick, if not a top-15 pick this April in 2022 but cornerback Kaiir Elam isn't looking ahead to his future in the NFL.
It's Georgia week.
"I bleed orange and blue. Any time I'm on that field or I'm in practice, I'm going to go my hardest to help us win a game, honestly. I’m not thinking about the future. I'm thinking about like every single practice leading up to Georgia right now and I'm focused on just winning this game, winning the next one and winning the next one after that," Elam said Tuesday night. "We have, what, five games left in the regular season? So I'm not really focused on the business decision right now. I’m focused on helping this team win.”
Elam's junior campaign got off to a fast start with six tackles, an interception in the first two games despite not being tested often by FAU or USF. Alabama was a different story. The Tide came right at Elam and he responded with three pass breakups before leaving the game with a knee injury.
Elam would miss the next three games, including a 20-13 loss at Kentucky, which was devastating to watch helplessly from the sideline. Elam has returned from that injury thanks to what he says is practically living in the training room getting treatment on his knee.
An injury like that and a disappointing 4-3 season could lead some players to sit down and think about their future. Elam is a surefire first rounder dealing with a lingering injury, playing for a team that can't win its conference and has no shot at playing for a National Championship. There's a portion of the fanbase that probably would understand if he shut it down and focused on getting healthy and ready for the NFL Draft. That ins't. how he was raised and that's not where his mind is at all.
"Obviously people are trying to like, sway me to think about that, but like right now, I feel like if I lose focus right now, that'd be—that'll hurt myself," Elam said. "And not only myself and my team. So I appreciate it though and I hear what you're saying. But right now, I'm just trying to bleed orange and blue man. Just help us go win."
