Jellico's Kenny Elliott is our Offensive Player of the Week for Week 7.
Elliott, 18, hopes to play football at the collegiate level. His life has revolved around football since he started playing in first grade.
"From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, I just think about football," Elliott said with a grin. "I try to hide in class and watch Hudl during class and stuff like that. It's my heart. I love it more than anything."
Elliott's greatest strength in his legs. His 283 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries led the Blue Devils to a 34-18 win at Hancock County last Friday.
"If it wasn't for my blockers, I wouldn't be doing much," Elliott said. "That's the heart of the offense, I believe."
The senior has led the team as a captain on the field and in the classroom; he's even recruited friends in the hallways to try out for the football team.
"I try to bring the intensity," Elliott said. "When I leave, [the players] can follow in my footsteps."
Coach Dustin Buckner agrees.
"Kenny Elliott is going to work his tail off every day that we're here, no matter what we're doing," Buckner said. "He's just kind of set like that...He works his butt off. If we had a bunch of Kenny Elliott's, we'd have a pretty good football team. We're happy for Kenny and happy for the game he had last Friday."
It's been a bumpy road for the Devils, who enter Friday with a 2-4 record. However, both those wins came in region play, setting Jellico to host its first playoff game since 2002.
More than 2,400 people voted for Elliott in our Player of the Week poll. Jellico's population is roughly 2,200.
"It's a big honor to put Jellico on the map and show people what it's got," Elliot said. "I believe since Jellico's a little town, they have a lot to prove. And I'm just glad. I thank the Lord."
Jellico looks to improve to 3-4 when it hosts Cumberland Gap on Friday.
"It's more about family than anything," Elliott said. "All these friends, it's growing up with them. There ain't nothing like it, really."