In many ways, Eli Cranor's story reads like a good book. It's fitting, given he now makes a living off writing such books.

Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, Cranor played high school football for the Russellville Cyclones. Across his junior and senior seasons, he threw for nearly 5,000 combined yards, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. That was enough to earn the attention of Florida Atlantic, who had recently joined NCAA Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Cranor spent a redshirt season with the Owls in Boca Raton, Florida, but soon felt called to move closer to home. He transferred to Ouachita, serving as an understudy for the program's No. 2 all-time passer, Lance Parker (5,938 yards), in 2007 and 2008.

When 2009 arrived, Cranor stepped into the starting QB role, passing for 14 touchdowns and almost 2,000 yards while leading his team to its second straight winning season (an active streak that has since grown to 16 – the longest of any college football program in Arkansas). The 2010 campaign marked the quarterback's last year with the Tigers and Ouachita's final season in the Gulf South Conference. He made sure it was an unforgettable one.

As a redshirt senior, Cranor threw for a school-record 2,570 yards, adding 513 on the ground to bring his total offense to 3,083 yards – also a single-season best for a Tiger. Both records still stand today. Additionally, he became the school's first quarterback to record at least 14 passing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons since Andy Jayroe did so in 1990 and 1991. Only Riley Harms (2022 and 2023) has joined the club since. In 2010's Week 11 matchup versus Delta State, Cranor tallied 382 passing yards, 40 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to claim Ouachita's final GSC Player of the Week Award. He finished the year with a Second Team All-GSC selection.

After college, Cranor played a professional season with Sweden's Carlstad Crusaders in 2011, guiding them to a 10-1 record and the Swedish National Championship. He collected 200 total yards and three touchdowns in the Crusaders' 20-7 Superserien title game victory.

Following coaching stints as offensive coordinator at Arkadelphia High School and head coach at Clarksville High School, Cranor focused on being an English teacher and writer. He regularly worked on his writing craft, seeking advice and feedback from mentors such as Ouachita's Dr. Johnny Wink, professor emeritus of English. Cranor told "Only in Arkansas" that he persisted through hundreds of rejections before publishing his debut novel, "Don't Know Tough," in 2022. A murder mystery set in Arkansas and centered around high school football, the book received the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel.

Today, Cranor is a writer in residence and visiting lecturer of English at Arkansas Tech University in his hometown of Russellville. He released his newest book, "Mississippi Blue 42," in August 2025. Also heavily inspired by football, it serves as the start of a new series and an exciting new chapter for its author.