Free Video Chat: DB Elijah Riley talks with GBK on signing with Eagles
A West Point graduate has not been chosen in the NFL draft since the Detroit Lions drafted Caleb Campbell in 2007. That’s in large part due to restrictions placed on academy grads playing professional sports prior to completing their Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO).
During this year's 2020 NFL Draft, that was optimism around Army football program that at least three players Black Knights might be selected in the latter rounds. They were Elijah Riley, Cole Christiansen and Connor Slomka. However, they did not occur, but what did unfold was the aforementioned trio signed Free Agent contracts with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively.
Our attention turns to Riley, who had a 5.3 rating from Rivals in 2016, when John Loose recruited him as a cornerback from nearby Port Jefferson, NY. He had three offers from Maine, Villanova, and New Hampshire, but Army West Point was the only FBS school to make him an offer.
Riley entered West Point as a direct report and made an immediate impact in his plebe year, recording 47 total tackles, including 0.5 TFLs while leading the team in interceptions with 3.
Injuries sidelined him for all but 5 games in 2017, but he still recorded 20 tackles including 1.5 sacks, and posted one interception.
He came back to play all 13 games in 2018, and ranked third on the team in tackles with 55, including 7.5 TFLs and 1.0 Sacks. He was named to the All Independent Second Team by Phil Steele that season.
Riley was elected as a team captain in the spring of 2019. He finished third on the team in total tackles with 79, while leading the team in TFLs with 8.0 and Sacks with 4.0. He was on the watch lists for Bednarik and Nagurski Awards and was a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. He was selected to play in the East-West Shrine game upon completion of his Army football career.
GoBlackKnights.com is here today chatting with 2019 Army Black Knights football captain and cornerback who just got one step closer to one of his goals and that’s having an opportunity to play in the NFL.
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