Greg Ellis (American football)

Infobox NFLactive


name=Greg Ellis
currentteam=Dallas Cowboys
currentnumber=98
currentposition=Linebacker
birthdate=birth date and age|1975|8|14
birthplace=Wendell, North Carolina
heightft=6
heightin=6
weight=270
debutyear=1998
debutteam=Dallas Cowboys
highlights=
* 3x First-team All-ACC (1995-1997)
* 3x All-American (1995-1997)
* Lombardi Award finalist (1997)
* Co-All Iron Award Winner (2007)
* 2007 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
* Pro Bowl selection (2007)
college=North Carolina
draftyear=1998
draftround=1
draftpick=8
pastteams=
* Dallas Cowboys (1998-present)
statweek=4
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=339
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=71.0
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=3
nfl=ELL500479

Gregory Lemont Ellis (born August 14, 1975) is an American Football player who currently plays linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.

Personal life

Ellis born in Wendell, NC where he attended East Wake High School [ (http://www.armchairgm.com/Greg_Ellis) ] . He attended the University of North Carolina and was a letterman in football. He holds the school record in sacks. While attending the University of North Carolina he met his present wife Tangerk Love. They have two children together Tyann and Gerimiah.

College career

Ellis attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a letterman in football. In football, he holds the school record in sacks.

Pro career

Ellis was drafted in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He had his best season in 2004 in which he had 9 sacks, 44 tackles, and 1 forced fumble.

At the end of the 2005-2006 football season, Ellis stated that he was not sure if he would return to the Dallas Cowboys due to decreased playing time, saying " "I just think obviously he (Bill Parcells) just feels that I don't fit into the scheme the way he wants me to fit, or I'm not that guy he's looking for." Ellis wasn't sure he could be productive as a 3-4 defensive end when Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells decided to change schemes this past off-season. At 280 pounds, the Dallas Cowboys former first-round pick didn't have ideal size to take on stronger, heavier offensive tackles from an inside position. Ellis' snaps appeared to decrease down the stretch. His 121-game streak as a starter ended Dec. 4 against the New York Giants when he was replaced in the lineup by rookie Chris Canty.

On June 6, 2006 Ellis said he wanted to see a "commitment" from the Cowboys before he fully accepts a new role with the team. After participating in the mandatory three-day mini-camp Ellis skipped the last two days of organized team activity practices (OTA's).

Ellis became the starting strong side linebacker in Bill Parcell's 3-4 Defense. Parcells thought that Greg reminded him of Willie McGinest, a former player of Parcells that had made the switch from defensive end to linebacker. Through the first eight games, the transition was successful. Unfortunately, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals on November 12, 2006, Ellis went down with a torn Achilles tendon when pass rushing and missed the remainder of the season. For 2006 season, Ellis had 30 tackles, three forced fumbles, and 4.5 sacks in eight games.

Contract woes and the 2007 season

During the 2007 offseason Greg Ellis created a stir in the Cowboys Training Camp by making it very clear that he wanted to renegotiate his contract to make for more money up front. Despite his complaints about his contract, Greg Ellis has contributed greatly to the Cowboys training camp, taking the young players under his wing and mentoring them while he has been unable to practice.

Ellis returned for their Week 4 game against the St. Louis Rams. Although not a starter, Ellis did have his first quarterback sack in over a year in that game. He finished the season co-leading the Cowboys with 12.5 sacks. His incredible comeback from a possible career-ending injury and his 12.5 sacks were enough to get him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. On January 30, 2008, Ellis was voted into the Pro Bowl for the first time as an injury replacement. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/011308dnspoelliscomeback.86b60e.html Ellis named Comeback Player] ]

References