Speaking publicly for the first time about his citation from a minor car crash, Ezekiel Elliott said he did not know he was driving with a suspended license.
The Ohio State running back told police officers Sunday afternoon he lost control of the car he was driving when it hydroplaned after driving over a puddle. He then skidded and hit another car, injuring one other person who did not need to be taken to the hospital, NBC 4 reported at the time.
An Ohio State spokesperson said shortly after news of the citation became public that Elliott was still active for the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl game against Notre Dame on Jan. 1. That status remained unchanged as of Monday.
According to ESPN, Franklin County suspended Elliott's driver's license in May when he did not show up to a court hearing for a citation over driving 59 mph in a 55-mph zone, which he did not know of. Elliott addressed the citation Tuesday morning and said he is working to resolve the matter, though he did not give specifics.
"First and foremost, I wasn't aware that my license was suspended, and I mean, I'm doing everything I can now, my dad is doing everything he can now to get that handled and get my license back in good standing," he said. "Just honestly glad that nobody was majorly injured, everybody was all right, and I feel like that's the most important part. It was a scary situation, really just trying to put it behind me and focus on this game."
The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Elliott will play his final game for Ohio State on Friday, as he has confirmed he will declare for the NFL Draft afterward.
