He enrolled at Kent State University in 2004, but because he initially did not receive a scholarship, the Riviera Beach residents raised US$20,000 to pay for his tuition.
On February 2, 2006, head coach Bill Parcells signed him as a free agent, based on a recommendation from Tucker Frederickson who had a son that played at Kent State University.
[7] On September 12, 2007, the New York Jets signed him based on a recommendation from Bill Parcells and would start 8 games at safety.
On April 25, 2009, he was sent to the Cleveland Browns as part of a trade to acquire the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, in order to select Mark Sanchez.
On August 3, 2011, after hiring his former Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the Cowboys signed him to a one-year contract as a free agent and named him the starter at safety.
On June 5, 2012, Elam signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs to provide depth behind Eric Berry, who was returning from a serious knee injury.
His son, Kaiir Elam, played defensive back for the University of Florida and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.