Kenrick Ellis

Kenrick Ellis
No. 93     New York Jets
Nose tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: December 10, 1987 (1987-12-10) (age 24)
Place of birth: Jamaica
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Weight: 346 lb (157 kg)
Career information
College: Hampton
NFL Draft: 2011 / Round: 3 / Pick: 94
Debuted in 2011 for the New York Jets
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
  • 2009 First-team All-MEAC
  • 2008 Second-team All-MEAC
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2011
Tackles     5
Sacks     0.0
Forced fumbles     0
Stats at NFL.com

Kenrick Ellis (born December 10, 1987) is a Jamaican American football nose tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hampton University.

Contents

High school career

After spending the first eleven years of his life in Jamaica, Ellis played mostly soccer until he got near high school. He attended John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres, Florida, where he became an All-State defensive tackle. In his junior year, he had 72 tackles, 16 for loss, and 14 quarterback sacks, while earning Class 6A third-team all-state honors, according to the Florida Sports Writers Association. As a senior, he made 67 tackles, 10 sacks and blocked two kicks despite having the season cut to only eight games as a result of hurricanes. Recruiting analysts of Scout.com described Ellis as Miami metropolitan area's best defensive tackle prospect since Vince Wilfork.[1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Ellis was tabbed as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the country.[2] He was also recognized as the No. 23 player in the state of Florida.[3] After official visits to Rutgers, Tennessee and South Carolina, Ellis committed to the Gamecocks on January 30, 2006. He also received scholarship offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and North Carolina State.

College career

South Carolina

After redshirting his initial year at South Carolina, Ellis played in 11 of 12 games for the Gamecocks in 2007, and earned a start in the season finale against Clemson. He recorded 11 tackles overall, including 10 solo stops, and three of those for a loss of yardage. Most of his work came on special teams until the final three games of the season, in which he logged nine of his tackles.

Ellis figured to play a more prominent role in the rotation in 2008, as he entered the spring listed as the number two tackle behind senior Marque Hall. However, he was dismissed from the team for repeated violations of team and university policy in May 2008.[4] He had already been suspended for the fall's first three games for violating the same university unspecified policy in February 2008.[5]

Ellis chose to transfer to Hampton University.

Hampton

In his first year at Hampton, played in 11 games for the Pirates while starting in nine. He recorded 39 tackles on the season, including 16 solo tackles, and ranked second on the team with 3.5 sacks. He earned subsequently earned second-team All-MEAC honors as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.[6]

As a junior, Ellis was fifth on the team with 51 tackles, and also ranked second on the team with 15.0 tackles for loss on the season. He received first-team All-MEAC honors by the league's coaches.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measureables
Ht Wt Arm length Hand size 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic
6 ft 5 in 346 lb 35⅛ in 10½ in 5.19 s 1.84 s 2.99 s 4.88 s 7.84 s 32 in 8 ft 6 in 26 rep N/A
Values taken from NFL Combine and Pro Day.[7][8]

A two-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference performer, Ellis was considered one of the best defensive tackle prospects to enter the 2011 NFL Draft.[9] Ellis was ranked by ESPN as the fourth top small-school prospect in the draft.[10]

New York Jets

Ellis was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round with the ninety-fourth overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.[11] He made his professional debut on October 17, 2011 against the Miami Dolphins.

References

  1. ^ "Kenrick Ellis Recruiting Profile", Scout.com, http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=1797286, retrieved February 2, 2010 .
  2. ^ "Defensive tackles 2006", Rivals.com, January 30, 2006, http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1155 .
  3. ^ "Florida top 100 2006", Rivals.com, January 24, 2006, http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1368 .
  4. ^ "USC dismisses Ellis", The Post and Courier, May 28, 2008, http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/may/28/usc_dismisses_ellis42427/ .
  5. ^ "Early-season suspensions mounting for Gamecocks", The Post and Courier, February 7, 2008, http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/feb/07/early_season_suspensions_mounting_gameco29891/ .
  6. ^ "Fourt Pirates Earn First Team All-MEAC Honors in Football", Hampton Athletic Department, December 3, 2008, http://www.hamptonpirates.com/news/2008/12/3/HAMFTB%20%2812-03-08%29.aspx .
  7. ^ Kenrick Ellis, NFL Draft Scout, archived from the original on April 30, 2011, http://www.webcitation.org/5yKWvqKHb, retrieved April 30, 2011 
  8. ^ Kenrick Ellis, NFL.com, archived from the original on April 30, 2011, http://www.webcitation.org/5yKX1jQNY, retrieved April 30, 2011 
  9. ^ 2011 DT Draft Prospects, CBS Sports, April 27, 2011, archived from the original on April 30, 2011, http://www.webcitation.org/5yKWdTkf9, retrieved April 30, 2011 
  10. ^ Scouts Inc. (February 10, 2011), Kenrick Ellis has upside and baggage, ESPN, archived from the original on April 30, 2011, http://www.webcitation.org/5yKVxTYxR, retrieved April 30, 2011 
  11. ^ Cimini, Rich (April 30, 2011), Jets take big gamble on third-round pick, ESPN, archived from the original on April 30, 2011, http://www.webcitation.org/5yKXVMMN2, retrieved April 30, 2011 

External links