Running back Justice Ellison sat inside the Indiana football locker room, taking a quiet moment for himself. His eyes wandered around the room, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as he watched his teammates celebrate another victory.
It wasn't just the win that filled the fifth-year senior with pride, it was the sense that he was finally part of something larger than just himself.
After all, that was the reason Ellison came to Bloomington in the first place.
"When I hit the portal, that was the main thing I wanted to do. I wanted to be a part of something greater than me," Ellison said on Tuesday night. "People are desperate, that's what really drew me [to Indiana]. I knew that this is a town that needed it."
After spending the first four years of his collegiate career at Wake Forest, Ellison was looking for more than just another program to exhaust his final year of eligibility at.
He wanted a challenge, a place where he could make a real impact, where the stakes were high, and the desire for success was even higher. Indiana, a program hungry for a revival, was exactly what Ellison was searching for.
"It was a no brainer," Ellison recalled of his swift decision to transfer to Indiana. "I don't need to go anywhere else, I don't need to look anywhere else. I took one visit and that was here. I committed on the spot."
Now, six games into the 2024 campaign, Ellison's decision has been validated. The Hoosiers are off to a historic start to the year and are already bowl eligible.
This season has redefined what Indiana football can be, and Ellison is at the heart of it, something the Ashburn, Virginia native would have no other way.
To Ellison, this year isn't just about personal accolades. Yes, he leads the team with 409 rushing yards and is a crucial part of the offense, but for Ellison his success is tied to something much bigger than himself.
"I'm not playing for myself," Ellison stated. "I'm not just playing for Justice or for my family. I'm playing for the guys beside me."
That mindset has permeated throughout the entire running back room. Ellison, along with James Madison transfers Ty Son Lawton and Kaelon Black, have created a three-headed rushing attack that has been as formidable as it has been unselfish this season.
They are focused not on individual stats, but how they can each elevate the team and those around them.
"The guys in the [running back] room have done a great job of staying focused on how we can make the team better," Ellison described. "Selflessness is key to be able to do your job as a team. Everybody wants to score touchdowns as a running back, but you're not always going to be able to put the ball in the end zone."
Indiana appears to be building something special in Bloomington. Ellison and the ground game have been dominant, and with the offensive line and tight end Zach Horton creating large wholes for the tail backs to gallop through, the offense has become one of the top rushing teams in the conference.
They aren't just leading the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns, and they don't just rank fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game. Ellison and his teammates are changing the narrative around Indiana football, something few thought was possible.
"That's the storyline of this year," Ellison said. "A lot of people didn't believe in Indiana and what we could do, but we believed before we could see it."
It's not just about Ellison. It's about the teammates beside him, the fans in the stands and the people of Bloomington who have waited so long for a football team to be proud of.
"I told [the team] before the season started that I would do my best to be able to have success with these guys, so that 20 years down the line we can look back at this phenomenal season and be able to say that we put the work in and we made history," Ellison said. "I'm excited to continue to keep winning and make history here."
That history is being made in real time. Six games into the season, and the Hoosiers have already exceeded expectations. Nonetheless, Ellison knows that the job isn't finished. As one of the veterans on the team, it's his job to keep everyone focused on the ultimate goal.
As Ellison reflects back on that moment in the Hoosiers' locker room, watching the team celebrate, he remembers feeling the fire still burning intensely inside him. He came to Indiana looking for a challenge, looking for something greater than himself. Now, he finds himself in the thick of it, surrounded by a team and a fanbase that's right there with him.
"When you believe in something greater than you," Ellison said, "it breeds success."
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