Kansas State University Athletics
2021 Football
Elder, Ross
Jersey Number 19
Ross Elder
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 192
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Kansas City, Mo.
- High School:
- Rockhurst
Bio
CAREER HONORS
• 2018-21 First Team Academic All-Big 12
CAREER: A four-year letterwinner who saw action in 46 career games, which included 14 starts over the final two seasons.
2021: Played all 13 games with seven starts, including starting nods in each of the final six contests... Finished third on the team with 53 tackles... Had at least seven tackles in each of the final three games, including a 10-tackle effort against Baylor and a career-best 11 tackles in his final game against LSU in the Texas Bowl... His 11 tackles against the Tigers tied for the seventh most in K-State bowl history... Also registered his first-career interception against LSU, tying for third in K-State bowl history... Returned his interception 36 yards, the fourth-longest return in K-State bowl history... Finished the year with five passes defended after just two in his previous three seasons entering the year... A First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
2020: Saw action in nine games with seven starts at safety, the first starts of his career… Totaled 41 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup during the season… Registered a career-high six tackles in four different games, including the Baylor contest when he tallied his first-career TFL… Also had five stops against Texas Tech… Carded his first-career pass breakup at TCU… Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
2019: Played in all 13 games as a regular member of the special teams… Made tackles on kickoff coverage against TCU and Kansas… A First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2018: Played in 11 games, tying for fourth on the team with four special teams tackles… Three of his tackles came on kickoff coverage… Also played in a reserve role on defense against UTSA when he broke up a pass… Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
2017: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered two seasons for Rockhurst under head coach Tony Severino, including his senior year in 2016 when the Hawklets went 9-3 and reached the state semifinals… Totaled 90 tackles, five blocked kicks and two interception-return touchdowns during his prep career… Earned first team all-state honors as a senior in addition to being named to the Kansas City Star All-Metro team… Also lettered two years in track and field, picking up all-state honors in the 4x100 and 4x200, and two years in basketball.
PERSONAL: Ross Everett Elder was born March 31, 1999, in Kansas City, Missouri… Son of Todd and Jill Elder… Father, Todd, was a wide receiver for the Wildcats from 1984 to 1986, while his uncle, Eddie, played basketball at K-State from 1983 to 1985 and ranks highly in school history several statistical categories… Has three siblings, Hallie, Brooks and Carter… Earned his degree from K-State in finance in May 2021 and is pursuing his MBA.
• 2018-21 First Team Academic All-Big 12
CAREER: A four-year letterwinner who saw action in 46 career games, which included 14 starts over the final two seasons.
2021: Played all 13 games with seven starts, including starting nods in each of the final six contests... Finished third on the team with 53 tackles... Had at least seven tackles in each of the final three games, including a 10-tackle effort against Baylor and a career-best 11 tackles in his final game against LSU in the Texas Bowl... His 11 tackles against the Tigers tied for the seventh most in K-State bowl history... Also registered his first-career interception against LSU, tying for third in K-State bowl history... Returned his interception 36 yards, the fourth-longest return in K-State bowl history... Finished the year with five passes defended after just two in his previous three seasons entering the year... A First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
2020: Saw action in nine games with seven starts at safety, the first starts of his career… Totaled 41 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup during the season… Registered a career-high six tackles in four different games, including the Baylor contest when he tallied his first-career TFL… Also had five stops against Texas Tech… Carded his first-career pass breakup at TCU… Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
2019: Played in all 13 games as a regular member of the special teams… Made tackles on kickoff coverage against TCU and Kansas… A First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2018: Played in 11 games, tying for fourth on the team with four special teams tackles… Three of his tackles came on kickoff coverage… Also played in a reserve role on defense against UTSA when he broke up a pass… Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.
2017: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered two seasons for Rockhurst under head coach Tony Severino, including his senior year in 2016 when the Hawklets went 9-3 and reached the state semifinals… Totaled 90 tackles, five blocked kicks and two interception-return touchdowns during his prep career… Earned first team all-state honors as a senior in addition to being named to the Kansas City Star All-Metro team… Also lettered two years in track and field, picking up all-state honors in the 4x100 and 4x200, and two years in basketball.
PERSONAL: Ross Everett Elder was born March 31, 1999, in Kansas City, Missouri… Son of Todd and Jill Elder… Father, Todd, was a wide receiver for the Wildcats from 1984 to 1986, while his uncle, Eddie, played basketball at K-State from 1983 to 1985 and ranks highly in school history several statistical categories… Has three siblings, Hallie, Brooks and Carter… Earned his degree from K-State in finance in May 2021 and is pursuing his MBA.
K-State FB | Pregame Hype vs Arizona
Thursday, September 11
K-State Football | Pregame Hype vs Arizona
Thursday, September 11
K-State Football | Chris Klieman Press Conference - Sept. 8, 2025
Monday, September 08
GAME REPLAY | FB vs Army
Monday, September 08
