PISCATAWAY -- When the Facebook message popped up on his screen, Kevin Wilkins wasn't sure whether or not to believe it.
Two years ago, as a true freshman defensive tackle at Rutgers, Wilkins was told by Ezekiel Elliott's father that he and the then-Ohio State star running back are cousins.
"I didn't know at first," Wilkins said. "I was like, 'Really? Is he really my cousin?' We ended up talking and we knew we were cousins."
Indeed, Wilkins said he and Elliott -- who was the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys after winning 2015 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors -- "hit it off" immediately once they connected.