Inside The Huskies

Molden Bows Out in a Classy Manner, as the UW Leader to the End

The highly decorated defensive back will turn his full attention to his pro-football pursuits.

Dan Raley

Elijah Molden, the face of the Husky football team for the past two seasons, reaffirmed what was never in question.

The University of Washington defensive back will turn his attention to the NFL now that all college football avenues for him have been exhausted.

On Monday, Molden released a well-crafted video message on Twitter that effectively wrapped up his UW career, thanked everyone for getting him to this moment and pointed him in his next direction. 

"After pouring out my heart and soul to the University of Washington, it is now time for me to look forward and prepare for the NFL draft," Molden said on the video. "This represents a lifelong dream of mine and I'm so thankful to be in a position to achieve it."

The senior wraps up a highly successful career in Seattle that the competitor in him said should have begun in earnest as a starter a little sooner and didn't quite end the way anyone wanted. 

The Huskies canceled out of this month's Oregon game, the Pac-12 championship game and any bowl opportunity that might have been offered because of the ongoing pandemic. He had the option to return for yet another season, something afforded all NCAA players, because of the virus disruptions created.

Thus Molden leaves the UW with the following accomplishments:

Appeared in 44 games, starting 19 of them.

Finished with 153 tackles, 100 solo and 7 for lost yards.

Collected five interceptions, his final one a 24-yard return against Utah.

Named first-team All-Pac-12 following his junior season and should be a repeat recipient as soon as tomorrow.

Selected to the watches lists for the Campbell, Lott and Thorpe awards.

Chosen as a preseason first-team All-American choice by the Walter Camp Foundation.

Rewarded with most valuable player honors at the Las Vegas Bowl.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Molden, who could be an upper-round draft pick, will always have a special place in the hearts of Husky followers because he spurned Oregon to play for the Huskies. 

This was no easy decision for him, considering his father Alex was a highly decorated Ducks defensive back who later played in the NFL.

He was his own man.

Molden moves on, but not before leaving his loyal UW constituency with this final, reassuring thought:

"I believe the Huskies will return next stronger and further prove what we started this year — that we are a team that deserves national recognition and success."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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