Troy University Athletics
From the Oil Fields to the Offensive Line: How Eli Russ’ Blue-Collar Roots Shaped His Troy Journey
11/7/2025 9:15:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. – For most kids, childhood memories are filled with playgrounds and video games. For Troy offensive lineman Eli Russ, they were built from red dirt, diesel fumes and the steady hum of a bulldozer.
Russ grew up in southwest Oklahoma, where work came before everything else. His father, Ken Russ, spent decades in the oil field, working two weeks on and two weeks off. When he was home, the younger Russ was right there beside him.
"I used to skip school just to hang out with Dad when he was home," Russ said. "He'd be gone so long that I just wanted to spend time with him. If I wasn't at school, I was running around that bulldozer, feeding cows, or helping my uncle on the farm."
When Ken was away, Russ stayed with his grandmother, Helen Russ, or his aunt and uncle, Pat and Krista Shirley. They helped raise him, along with his cousins, Creed and Bailey.
"I call my grandma my mom more than anything," Russ said. "They all raised me together."
Ken provided the example that shaped Russ's work ethic. He grew up "dirt poor," one of six children, helping his own father train quarter horses. He started his own businesses from scratch and never shied away from long days or dirty hands.
"He's my best friend," Russ said. "Everything I've learned about working hard came from him."
Sports didn't enter the picture until later. After Ken remarried when Eli was in fifth grade, his stepmother's family introduced him to athletics.
"I was terrible," Russ said, laughing. "I was soft. I didn't know anything about football."
That changed in high school. Russ began to realize he might have something special when college coaches started calling.
"I didn't even understand how recruiting worked," he said. "I told schools no when they asked me to visit because I didn't think anything of it."
Eventually, he caught on. He began his college career at Oklahoma State but faced setbacks, including a series of concussions that made him question whether to keep playing.
"There was a time I thought about hanging it up," he said. "But I talked to Dad, prayed about it, and decided to keep going. Something's going to happen anyway, so why not keep trying?"
That decision eventually led him to Troy.
Initially, Russ was drawn to the program by offensive line coach Cole Popovich, whose résumé includes a Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. But once he arrived in Troy, he found something deeper.
"I didn't know much about Troy when I got recruited," he said. "But when I got here, it blew me away. The people, the program, the culture, it felt like home right away."
Russ quickly bought in, embracing a program that mirrors the same blue-collar mentality he was raised with.
"Troy isn't about flash," he said. "But if you just want to play football, this is the place."
That mindset carried him through the ups and downs of the past two seasons. After the 2024 campaign brought its share of changes and challenges, Russ was one of several veterans who stayed committed.
"Troy's done so much for me," he said. "Why give up now? They've given me every opportunity, and I owe it to them to stick with it. The guys who stayed are the ones who are fully bought in. We don't give up. That's who we are."
Off the field, Russ remains grounded in the lessons that shaped him growing up. When football ends, he plans to return to Oklahoma, help his dad's business, and stay close to his agricultural roots.
"I'd like to stay around the ag side of things," he said. "It's what I know."
For now, his focus is on Troy, his teammates, and continuing the work that began long before football ever entered the picture.
Russ grew up in southwest Oklahoma, where work came before everything else. His father, Ken Russ, spent decades in the oil field, working two weeks on and two weeks off. When he was home, the younger Russ was right there beside him.
"I used to skip school just to hang out with Dad when he was home," Russ said. "He'd be gone so long that I just wanted to spend time with him. If I wasn't at school, I was running around that bulldozer, feeding cows, or helping my uncle on the farm."
When Ken was away, Russ stayed with his grandmother, Helen Russ, or his aunt and uncle, Pat and Krista Shirley. They helped raise him, along with his cousins, Creed and Bailey.
"I call my grandma my mom more than anything," Russ said. "They all raised me together."
Ken provided the example that shaped Russ's work ethic. He grew up "dirt poor," one of six children, helping his own father train quarter horses. He started his own businesses from scratch and never shied away from long days or dirty hands.
"He's my best friend," Russ said. "Everything I've learned about working hard came from him."
Sports didn't enter the picture until later. After Ken remarried when Eli was in fifth grade, his stepmother's family introduced him to athletics.
"I was terrible," Russ said, laughing. "I was soft. I didn't know anything about football."
That changed in high school. Russ began to realize he might have something special when college coaches started calling.
"I didn't even understand how recruiting worked," he said. "I told schools no when they asked me to visit because I didn't think anything of it."
Eventually, he caught on. He began his college career at Oklahoma State but faced setbacks, including a series of concussions that made him question whether to keep playing.
"There was a time I thought about hanging it up," he said. "But I talked to Dad, prayed about it, and decided to keep going. Something's going to happen anyway, so why not keep trying?"
That decision eventually led him to Troy.
Initially, Russ was drawn to the program by offensive line coach Cole Popovich, whose résumé includes a Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. But once he arrived in Troy, he found something deeper.
"I didn't know much about Troy when I got recruited," he said. "But when I got here, it blew me away. The people, the program, the culture, it felt like home right away."
Russ quickly bought in, embracing a program that mirrors the same blue-collar mentality he was raised with.
"Troy isn't about flash," he said. "But if you just want to play football, this is the place."
That mindset carried him through the ups and downs of the past two seasons. After the 2024 campaign brought its share of changes and challenges, Russ was one of several veterans who stayed committed.
"Troy's done so much for me," he said. "Why give up now? They've given me every opportunity, and I owe it to them to stick with it. The guys who stayed are the ones who are fully bought in. We don't give up. That's who we are."
Off the field, Russ remains grounded in the lessons that shaped him growing up. When football ends, he plans to return to Oklahoma, help his dad's business, and stay close to his agricultural roots.
"I'd like to stay around the ag side of things," he said. "It's what I know."
For now, his focus is on Troy, his teammates, and continuing the work that began long before football ever entered the picture.
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