Ellis Wyms
Encyclopedia
Ellis Rashad Wyms (born April 12, 1979 in Indianola, Mississippi
) is an American football
defensive tackle who is currently a free agent
. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Mississippi State
.
Wyms, who earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII
, has also played for the Seattle Seahawks
, Minnesota Vikings
and Florida Tuskers.
. He racked up 120 career tackle
s, with 69 solo tackles. He also collected 10 quarterback sack
s in just 40 career games for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Wyms started
on the defensive line eight times as a senior. Wyms was the Bulldogs' top reserve player. In his first career start, against Oklahoma State
, Wyms racked up six tackles. He majored in technology
and education
.
, vs. the New Orleans Saints
, vs. the Baltimore Ravens
, and vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
. However, he did not start until the Philadelphia Eagles
playoff game in which the Buccaneers lost.
Ellis Wyms did not start a game in the Bucs' Super Bowl
-winning season
, but he ranked third on the team with 5.5 sacks. Throughout the season, he recorded 38 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumble
s, and one fumble recovery. Wyms registered his first career sack against the Baltimore Ravens. During the divisional playoffs game versus the San Francisco 49ers
, Wyms played along the defensive line a lot, racking up five tackles and defending one pass. In Super Bowl XXXVII
against the Oakland Raiders
, Ellis Wyms sacked Raiders quarterback
Rich Gannon
. He also added three tackles against the Raiders.
Wyms played in 13 games in the 2003 season
, but the Bucs slumped from their Super Bowl glory to a 7-9 record. Wyms missed the last three games of the season after being placed on injured reserve
because of a sprain
ed left knee
. Despite the injury, Wyms recorded 22 tackles, two sacks, and three defended passes
on the season.
Wyms also had a shortened season in 2004
because of injury
. He played in six games before leaving on October 23, 2004 for injured reserve due to a shoulder
injury. In this dismal season for the Buccaneers (5-11 record), Ellis Wyms only totaled 19 tackles, two of them for losses. He eclipsed his career-high tackle mark against the Denver Broncos
with 8 tackles. Wyms also contributed eight tackles against the St. Louis Rams
.
Things started looking up for Wyms in the Buccaneers' first playoff season since 2002
. He played in all 16 games, and started against the New England Patriots
. However, the defense allowed 28 points and the Buccaneers were shutout
by the reigning NFL champions and Wyms allowed quite a few runs up the middle. Ellis Wyms appeared in his 50th career game against the Carolina Panthers
on December 11, 2005. Ellis Wyms finished the season with a disappointing 17 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass defensed. He also sacked Washington Redskins
quarterback Mark Brunell
in their wildcard contest.
On September 1, 2007 the Bucs released him.
before the 2007 season
. He appeared in 13 games (no starts) for the team and recorded 11 tackles. He became a free agent
after the season.
worth $1.5 million and including a $500,000 signing bonus.
. He also participates in many community activities. In high school, he recorded 124 tackles and 7 sacks.
Indianola, Mississippi
Indianola is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,066 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Sunflower County.-History:...
) is an American football
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...
defensive tackle who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He 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...
at Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
.
Wyms, who earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
, has also played for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and Florida Tuskers.
College career
Wyms went to Mississippi State and played as a BulldogMississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
. He racked up 120 career 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, with 69 solo tackles. He also collected 10 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 in just 40 career games for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Wyms started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
on the defensive line eight times as a senior. Wyms was the Bulldogs' top reserve player. In his first career start, against Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
, Wyms racked up six tackles. He majored in technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wyms was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 183rd pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, in the sixth round. In his first season, he played in four games (at the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, vs. the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, vs. the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, and vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, he did not start until the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
playoff game in which the Buccaneers lost.
Ellis Wyms did not start a game in the Bucs' Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
-winning season
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach...
, but he ranked third on the team with 5.5 sacks. Throughout the season, he recorded 38 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, and one fumble recovery. Wyms registered his first career sack against the Baltimore Ravens. During the divisional playoffs game versus the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Wyms played along the defensive line a lot, racking up five tackles and defending one pass. In Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Ellis Wyms sacked Raiders quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
. He also added three tackles against the Raiders.
Wyms played in 13 games in the 2003 season
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...
, but the Bucs slumped from their Super Bowl glory to a 7-9 record. Wyms missed the last three games of the season after being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
because of a sprain
Sprain
A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...
ed left knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
. Despite the injury, Wyms recorded 22 tackles, two sacks, and three defended passes
Pass deflected
In American football a pass deflected, also known as a pass defended, a pass defensed, a pass knock down, or a pass break up, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player...
on the season.
Wyms also had a shortened season in 2004
2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record in 2003. Brian Griese set a number of franchise records for passing. Michael Clayton set a rookie record for receiving.-Offseason:...
because of injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
. He played in six games before leaving on October 23, 2004 for injured reserve due to a shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
injury. In this dismal season for the Buccaneers (5-11 record), Ellis Wyms only totaled 19 tackles, two of them for losses. He eclipsed his career-high tackle mark against 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...
with 8 tackles. Wyms also contributed eight tackles against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Things started looking up for Wyms in the Buccaneers' first playoff season since 2002
2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2004. Carnell Williams won rookie of the year....
. He played in all 16 games, and started against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. However, the defense allowed 28 points and the Buccaneers were shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
by the reigning NFL champions and Wyms allowed quite a few runs up the middle. Ellis Wyms appeared in his 50th career game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
on December 11, 2005. Ellis Wyms finished the season with a disappointing 17 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass defensed. He also sacked Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
in their wildcard contest.
On September 1, 2007 the Bucs released him.
Seattle Seahawks
He signed with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
before the 2007 season
2007 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2007 Seattle Seahawks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The team has improved upon its 9-7 record in 2006 and secured its fourth consecutive NFC West division title and its fifth consecutive playoff appearance...
. He appeared in 13 games (no starts) for the team and recorded 11 tackles. He became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the season.
Minnesota Vikings
On March 17, 2008, Wyms signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
worth $1.5 million and including a $500,000 signing bonus.
Personal
Wyms contributes to the community through the "Strong Minds, Strong Bodies" program. The program provides monthly reading activities and career advice to underprivileged children in the city of TampaTâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
. He also participates in many community activities. In high school, he recorded 124 tackles and 7 sacks.