Randy Beard

Evansville Courier & Press

When Joey Elliott hops on his Twitter account, it's usually to post inspirational messages.

NO SPEED LIMIT ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS.

Live in the details of the details.

Today's the day, NOT tomorrow.

If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the GOAL.

The former Purdue quarterback took his own advice with that last one.

When Elliott had to let go of his dream of playing in the NFL, he simply changed his path and began learning another side of professional football.

Through it all, including the highs and the lows of his pro playing career in Canada, he was determined to make it to the NFL.

Last month, it all paid off for Elliott when the Indianapolis Colts added him to their staff as a pro scout. His job is focused on helping to evaluate current players as well as writing reports on unrestricted free agents and potential draft picks.

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And better yet, he's doing it for the team he grew up following.

"It's a great opportunity," said Elliott. "In pro sports, you never know where you are going to end up, so you have to keep your options open."

That's what Elliott did after the Philadelphia Eagles cut him as a free agent in 2010.

Starting with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2010-12), Elliott spent five seasons as a quarterback in the CFL, including a season each with the BC Lions (2013) and the Ottawa Redblacks (2014).

The Redblacks then offered him a job as a scout. Elliott, who had moved to Indianapolis to help work out NFL draft prospects at St. Vincent Sports Performance, made the most of the opportunity.

"That really opened up my eyes to the scouting side and personnel side of football," said Elliott.

More importantly, it allowed him to get to know NFL scouts, coaches and general managers while attending pro days on college campuses.

Living in Indianapolis, he also wasn't a stranger to the Colts.

"I interviewed last year for a different role within the organization," said Elliott. "Everybody was wondering, do you want to be a coach or do you want to be a scout?"

He sent out resumes — five each — to all 32 NFL teams. He also made certain a resume ended up in the hands of all the scouts he met during his trips to college campuses.

"I attended 21 pro days in like three weeks. My job was to show up and help those guys ... Sometimes they asked me to throw, other times they asked me to go with the defensive backs or to time the 20s or 40s or pro agility drills."

Other scouts would even pick up the phone to get his opinion of certain players and if he had any questions, he usually knew who he could call.

"You've still got to be able to evaluate the talent, but what you need to know is if there are any off-the-field issues," said Elliott. "You have to build relationships (with other scouts) for someone to give you that information."

Living in Indianapolis, Elliott became well-known to the Colts staff. So when he was hired May 17, he was settling in the same day and back at work by 7 a.m. the next.

"Living here, it made the transition much easier," he said.

Becoming a scout also allowed him to take the next step in his life — he's getting married in November.

And sorry to say Boilermakers fans, Indiana won this one. His fiancee, Danielle Cook, is an IU grad.

"Yeah, it's a house-divided situation," said Elliott. "I'm marrying a beautiful girl from IU. She's my better half, that's for sure."

She has one brother, Kyle, who was a pitcher at Purdue and another, Kevin, who was a defensive back at Butler, so she at least brings competitive tolerance to the relationship.

Meanwhile, in a pinch, Elliott can always rely on his Twitter account to get him through.

To be successful you have to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

You have a fresh start today. Control the NOW.

Contact Evansville Courier & Press reporter Randy Beard at randy.beard@courierpress.com or (812) 464-7613.