When rookie kicker Jake Elliott lines up fourth quarter field goals, he has a whole lot more than football experience to draw on.
 

The 23-year old Eagles star kicker was a successful multi-sport athlete growing up, excelling in baseball, basketball and soccer, among others.

In high school, tennis was his top sport. In an Illinois school with 4,000 students, Elliott was the No. 1 player on the tennis team.

 

“That was the first sport I ever played,” he said in an interview with the Tennis Channel.
 

Elliott, who began playing at 4 years old, said he once planned on pursuing the next level of tennis, even taking a college visit to explore an NCAA program. He coached tennis in the summers, and modeled his game after former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
 

Tennis was put on pause when Elliott discovered football.
 

Elliott was recruited by the high school football coach to give football a shot, and it stuck. ADVERTISEMENT He  continued to play high school tennis, but his abilities on the football field led to a college scholarship and the lucrative options of professional football.
 

He made a name for himself during his 2017 NFL campaign with the Eagles, making 26 of his 31 attempts, including a 61-yard game-winner against rival New York Giants. He converted on three field goals and two extra points during the Eagles’ Super Bowl win.
 

Even with football as his full-time job, Elliott makes time for tennis. He made an appearance at a Philadelphia Freedoms match during the summer, signing autographs and hitting balls with the team, pre-match.
 

“I still mess around,” he said. “I keep in touch with my high school coach. Every time I go back I try to hit around with the high school team.”
 

“I love the game,” he added. “I owe a lot to tennis.” 
 

Elliott signing autographs at Philadelphia Freedoms Match