A Captain's Final Bow: Tim Elko closes final chapter at Ole Miss with an exclamation mark
Last July Tim Elko made the decision to return to Ole Miss for one last season and one last chance at glory. A decision that he did not come to lightly but one he spent many hours alone and with those close to him contemplating.
Still, the Ole Miss captain wanted to come back to Oxford as there was also unfinished business in his mind. The opportunity to play a final year at full strength and to avenge falling one win shy of Omaha.
Sunday afternoon as Elko was hoisting up the program’s first national championship it was mission accomplished and career fulfilled.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Elko said. “No, really, me and (Kevin Graham) and people that maybe could’ve have gone, we came back one more year to play with the guys sitting up here with me and that were on the field today. We came back to play one more time as a team and go for the shot to win a national championship, and obviously we did that.”
Elko’s story is one that became instant legend last year when he returned form an ACL tear a month after. This year, the Legend of Elko became immortal.
The timely hits, the home runs and grand slams, Elko was once again a monster at the plate. But what may not have been noticed as easily was the impact he had off the field and behind locker room doors.
When the season was spiraling and on the brink at the end of April it was Elko who’s name was the first spoken by teammates of who called a player’s only meeting.
Those actions reverberated throughout the clubhouse and others took notice.
“I’ve grown up so much just in that aspect of being a teammate, being a better better teammate, just looking up to Tim really,” said Dylan DeLucia. “He’s like a mentor to me. The way he’s just picked me up, kept me going, put my head on straight. I’ve never seen someone like that and it’s truly a blessing to have this team and these coaching staffs.”
Sunday punctuated the best season in Ole Miss baseball history and also saw the end of maybe the greatest collective era of Ole Miss baseball.
Several players saw their Rebel careers end on the mountain top. Elko is one of those players.
Head coach Mike Bianco did not want to focus on what a future without Elko looks like in Oxford and at Swayze Field come February.
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“This is such a great time. I don’t think anybody wants to think about it’s the last time,” Bianco said. “I was going to say, man, that’s kind of cruel.”
In true fashion, Elko provided one final example of the kind of player and teammate he is.
In the postgame press conference the question was asked, sort of in jest, about the statue. Social media chatter built up through the season, carrying over from last year, of building a statue of Elko in honor of his contributions.
On Sunday Elko danced around the opportunity to take the spolight all to himself and instead made sure there was plenty to go around.
“I don’t really want one,” Elko said. “I kind of just want one of all of us holding the National Championship trophy. That’s all I want.”
On Wednesday, Elko gets to take one final victory lap at Oxford-University Stadium during the Championship Celebration.
Related: Talk of Champions: On the road back from Omaha after the Ole Miss Rebels won a national championship.
