Jump to content

Gerry Ellis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gerry Ellis
No. 31
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1957-11-12)November 12, 1957(age 66)
Columbia, Missouri,U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Hickman(Columbia)
College:Missouri
NFL draft:1980/ round: 7 / pick: 192
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:3,826
Rushing average:4.6
Touchdowns:25
Statsat Pro Football Reference

Gerry Ellis(born November 12, 1957) is an American former professionalfootballplayer who was arunning backfor seven seasons with theGreen Bay Packersof theNational Football League(NFL). He playedcollege footballfor theMissouri Tigersand was selected by theLos Angeles Ramsin the1980 NFL draft.[1]He was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Famein 1994.[2]

College career

[edit]

After playing high school football atHickman High SchoolinColumbia, Missouri,[3]Ellis spent his first year post-high school atFort Scott Junior College.[4]He later played atMissouri,where he started at fullback but was injured midway through his senior year. He returned in time for the1979 Hall of Fame ClassicagainstSouth Carolina,where he scored a touchdown.[5]

Professional career

[edit]

Ellis was drafted by theLos Angeles Ramsin the seventh round1980 NFL draft,[6]but was cut by the team in his first preseason and was claimed by theGreen Bay Packersin free agency during the opening stages of the 1980 season.[7]After rising to starting fullback in the middle of September 1980, Ellis scored his first career NFL touchdown against the Rams.[8]He set Packers single-season team records for total offense by a running back and receiving yards by a running back in 1981,[7]accumulating more than a quarter of Green Bay's total offensive yards.[9]On September 30, 1984, Ellis caught a lateral fromJames Loftonas time expired against theTampa Bay Buccaneers,scoring a touchdown and sending the game into overtime. The Packers unfortunately lost the game in overtime.[10]After playing at fullback from 1980 to 1983, Ellis moved to running back before 1984.[6]He led the Packers in rushing in both 1983 and 1984,[11]and returned kicks for the Packers in 1985.[12]

Before the 1987 season, Ellis was volunteering at a football camp for underserved youth and tore his Achilles tendon while working out, never to step on an NFL field again.[13]

Ellis was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Famein 1994.[14][15]

NFL career statistics

[edit]
Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1980 GNB 15 13 126 545 4.3 22 5 48 496 10.3 69 3
1981 GNB 16 16 196 860 4.4 29 4 65 499 7.7 46 3
1982 GNB 9 8 62 228 3.7 29 1 18 140 7.8 20 0
1983 GNB 15 14 141 696 4.9 71 4 52 603 11.6 56 2
1984 GNB 16 16 123 581 4.7 50 4 36 312 8.7 22 2
1985 GNB 16 8 104 571 5.5 39 5 24 206 8.6 35 0
1986 GNB 16 6 84 345 4.1 24 2 24 258 10.8 29 0
103 81 836 3,826 4.6 71 25 267 2,514 9.4 69 10

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1982 GNB 2 2 9 48 5.3 17 0 8 99 12.4 31 0
2 2 9 48 5.3 17 0 8 99 12.4 31 0

Personal life

[edit]

Ellis grew up inColumbia, Missouriwith eight siblings, where he competed in track and field and setCentral Missouri Conferencerecords in discus and shot put.[16]While attending college at theUniversity of Missouri,Ellis majored in education.[8]He invested in real estate as a side job during his football career.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Gerry Ellis".PackersNews.com.RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
  2. ^"Packers Hall of Fame RB Gerry Ellis to join Pack Attack Monday".WAOW.RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
  3. ^Baer, Rus (May 11, 2014)."Millard could be first NFL player from Columbia in 21 years".Columbia Tribune.RetrievedFebruary 19,2020.
  4. ^abRaboin, Sharon (September 7, 1986)."Playing pro football fulfills Gerry Ellis' childhood dream".Green Bay Press-Gazette.RetrievedMarch 2,2020.
  5. ^Connelly, Bill (April 30, 2010)."1979: A Fleeting Taste of the Big-Time (Part Three)".Rock M Nation.SB Nation.RetrievedFebruary 19,2020.
  6. ^abWatson, Phil."Best of the Packers: Top 10 running backs since 1960".Dairyland Express.RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
  7. ^ab"Is Bob Schnelker serious about Gerry Ellis, or is..."UPI.January 14, 1983.RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
  8. ^abKaiser, Jacqueline (October 3, 1980)."Packers' Gerry Ellis breaks into backfield".La Crosse Tribune.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  9. ^Rooney, John (March 15, 1982)."Ellis seeks improvement as a Green Bay runner".Manitowoc Herald-Times.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  10. ^Troup, T.J. (2009).This Day in Football: A Day-By-Day Record of the Events That Shaped the Game.Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 39.ISBN978-1-58979-452-8.RetrievedFebruary 19,2020.
  11. ^Goska, Eric (August 17, 1994)."What's in a number?".Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.RetrievedMarch 2,2020.
  12. ^Christl, Cliff (October 14, 1985)."Ellis gave Packers lift with return".Green Bay Press-Gazette.RetrievedMarch 2,2020.
  13. ^"Packers' Ellis may not play again".The Daily Tribune.June 7, 1987.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  14. ^"Packer Hall of Fame welcomes three".Green Bay Press-Gazette.March 12, 1994.RetrievedMarch 2,2020.
  15. ^Christl, Cliff."Gerry Ellis".Packers.com.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 20,2023.
  16. ^Anders, Mike (May 2, 1975)."Kewpies capture CMC track title, Jays 2nd".Jefferson City Post-Tribune.RetrievedFebruary 19,2020.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerry_Ellis&oldid=1238328048"