PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -Javien Elliott’s life story has been a roller coaster. A star football player at Rutherford high school from 2008 to 2011, he earned a walk-on spot at Florida State. After college ball, he went undrafted in the NFL draft yet was able to secure a spot on an NFL roster. That uncertainty of not knowing what’s coming next has always been with Javien, but it’s also the reason why he finds himself back in Panama City.
Javien told us “Not knowing what the next move is going to be, even playing at Florida State, not knowing if I’m going to earn my scholarship, not knowing if I’m going to be able to start, going game to game not knowing if I’m going to get my opportunity, getting to the NFL, going undrafted. not knowing if I’m going to make the team, making the team, not knowing if. It’s the same thing over and over but like, right now it’s in the terms of football but this is life lessons, right?”
Javien played four seasons in the NFL, three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Carolina Panthers. Even when Javien reached the top of the mountain, he never took the opportunities he got for granted.
“Honestly I just always stayed hungry. Wanting to show that I’m capable of doing it, but honestly like this was just God’s plan for my life. Ultimately, a lot of people can look at my story and say, oh he did such an amazing job, but really God brought me through these seasons.”
After everything, Javien has found his way back to Panama City. Specifically, the coaching staff at his alma mater.
“I never imagined myself moving back to Panama City, I never thought about it. For me to come back and share some of the things that I’ve learned and get them to see it not necessarily at an NFL level but at a level to where the game slows down for them, because they have the natural athletic ability but once they combine the physical with the mental, and they piece it together, like who knows where this could go, right?”
Elliott, among other things, will help coach the Rams defensive backs and receivers this fall. He no doubt has much to offer to the young Rutherford players.
To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WJHG onFacebook,Instagram andX (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Emailnews@wjhg.com. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Keep up with all the biggest headlines on theWJHG News app, and check out what’s happening outside using theWJHG Weather app.
Copyright 2025 WJHG. All rights reserved.