Greg Ellis (football)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Greg Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | August 14, 1975 |
| Place of birth | Wendell, NC |
| Position(s) | Defensive end Outside linebacker |
| College | North Carolina |
| NFL Draft | 1998 / Round 1/ Pick 9 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1998-present | Dallas Cowboys |
Greg Lemont Ellis (born August 14, 1975) is an American Football player who currently plays linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
[edit] College career
Ellis was a standout player with The North Carolina Tarheels, where he holds the school record in sacks.
[edit] 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.
However in a recent interview, Parcells stated "He's coming back. I would think so. He's under contract, and we don't have any plans to trade him. When you've got a young team changing defenses with rookies, these vets don't always understand the pace you've got to go. I know we're going to try to do a couple of different things that involve Greg this year."
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).
When asked what might happen if the Cowboys fail to come up with a new contract, Ellis said he had not yet decided if he would hold out at training camp.
"I don't know about that," Ellis said. "We'll see about that. I'll just have to make that decision when the time comes."
Since then, Ellis has become 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 will miss the remainder of the season. For 2006 season, Ellis had 30 tackles, three forced fumbles, and 4.5 sacks in eight games. He hopes to return for training camp in 2007.
 |
This biographical article relating to an American football defensive lineman is a stub. You can help by adding to it. |
