Ellis Johnson (defensive lineman)
Encyclopedia
Ellis Bernard Johnson is a former American college and professional football
player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League
(NFL) for ten seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Johnson played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts
, the Atlanta Falcons
and the Denver Broncos
of the NFL.
in 1973. He attended Wildwood High School, where he played high school football
for the Wildwood Wildcats.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1991 to 1994. As a senior
team captain
on the Gators' 1994 Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship team, Johnson was a first-team All-SEC selection, an honorable mention All-American, and CNN
's National Defensive Player of the Year; he was also selected by his Gators teammates as the team's most valuable player. He finished his four years as a Gator with 16.3 quarterback sack
s and 26.8 tackle
s for a loss.
He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2007.
selected Johnson in the first round (fifteenth pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft
, and he played for the Colts from to . During those seven seasons, he started eighty-four of 104 games, recording 269 tackles
, thirty-three quarterback sack
s and two interceptions.
Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons
before the season, and he played for the Falcons from to . In the two years, he started five of thirty-two games, recording sixty-seven tackles, and fifteen sacks. Johnson signed with the Denver Broncos
before the season. In his only season with the Broncos, he played in thirteen games, recording sixteen tackles, three sacks and an interception.
In his ten-year NFL career, Johnson appeared in 149 regular season games, started in eighty-nine of them, and was responsible for 356 tackles.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for ten seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Johnson played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL.
Early life
Johnson was born in Wildwood, FloridaWildwood, Florida
Wildwood is a city in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,924 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 3,598.-Geography:Wildwood is located at ....
in 1973. He attended Wildwood High School, where he played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Wildwood Wildcats.
College career
Johnson received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1991 to 1994. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
on the Gators' 1994 Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship team, Johnson was a first-team All-SEC selection, an honorable mention All-American, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's National Defensive Player of the Year; he was also selected by his Gators teammates as the team's most valuable player. He finished his four years as a Gator with 16.3 quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and 26.8 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s for a loss.
He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2007.
Professional career
The Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
selected Johnson in the first round (fifteenth pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
, and he played for the Colts from to . During those seven seasons, he started eighty-four of 104 games, recording 269 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, thirty-three quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and two interceptions.
Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
before the season, and he played for the Falcons from to . In the two years, he started five of thirty-two games, recording sixty-seven tackles, and fifteen sacks. Johnson signed with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before the season. In his only season with the Broncos, he played in thirteen games, recording sixteen tackles, three sacks and an interception.
In his ten-year NFL career, Johnson appeared in 149 regular season games, started in eighty-nine of them, and was responsible for 356 tackles.
See also
- 1994 College Football All-America Team1994 College Football All-America TeamThe 1994 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The Sporting News and Football News.The...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- History of the Indianapolis ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Indianapolis Colts first-round draft picks