By Kayden Breedlove
As an active member of the USA Bobsledding team, Ole Miss alumnus Elliot Markuson (BS 17) has a busy schedule, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his passion in the field of sports diplomacy. By helping coach training camps worldwide through the nonprofit organization FHI 360, he works as a program officer with numerous individuals from other nations in an effort to create stronger diplomatic connections between the U.S. and foreign countries through sports like football. Though Markuson played football while at Ole Miss, his involvement with the game started long before he became a student.
His father, Mike Markuson, was appointed as offensive line coach at the university in 2008. Despite having moved to Oxford in eighth grade and being a Washington, D.C., resident now, Markuson considers it to be his home.
“I went to middle school, high school, and then to Ole Miss, so you could say it’s my hometown,” he said.
In his years at Ole Miss, Markuson was heavily involved with athletics both on and off the football field. Along with five years on the football team, being a redshirt for his first year, he also was a member of the Ole Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (OMSAAC). This provided him the opportunity to get involved on campus and to connect with his classmates outside of athletics.
Markuson took the skills in leadership that he had built from his time involved with OMSAAC and put them to work overseas.
“I knew that I needed to branch out and see other parts of the world, and the easiest way to do that was getting a job overseas,” he said.
Markuson landed a position in China teaching both the English language and American football to students. During that time, he got the opportunity to work with the NFL Division in China and was introduced to the world of sports diplomacy, which involves building connections between different countries through sports and sportsmanship through exchange programs and even large-scale games like the Olympics.
“I really got to see how sport was used as a communication method that translated beyond cultural boundaries and norms. It’s something that I became really passionate about,” Markuson said.
In the long term, he is interested in continuing his efforts in the world of sports diplomacy, possibly in the form of an ambassador.
As he continues to pursue sports diplomacy, Markuson has not left the competitive sports world behind. He joined the USA Bobsledding team in October 2020 and now competes on the international stage for Team USA bobsled.
Even in the off-season, Markuson tries to be vigilant in his own self-improvement through taking sports management classes, acting as a motivational speaker and traveling to explore and experience other cultures.
Markuson said that regardless of the differences between the two sports, the team mindset that was needed on the football field also translates to his career in bobsledding.
“There are a lot of backgrounds here, but the same principles are still there,” he said. “Discipline, grit, and commitment to the team are some of the most important things.”
Looking at the success that he has had in both athletics and his career, Markuson vocalized his gratitude for the opportunities and blessings that helped get him to where he is today. He wants those interested in a similar path to push themselves to be the best they can be and to seek to challenge themselves and do things outside of the conventional routes.
“Seek to reach out and connect with people,” he said. “You never know what could come out of a handshake or a good conversation.”
