Ellis Johnson (defensive lineman)

Ellis Bernard Johnson (born October 30, 1973) is an American former 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 was recognized as the National Defensive Player of the Year. He was picked in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos of the NFL.

Ellis Johnson
No. 62, 61
Position:Defensive tackle, defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1973-10-30) October 30, 1973
Wildwood, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:288 lb (131 kg)
Career information
High school:Wildwood (FL)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:149
Games started:89
Tackles:356
Quarterback sacks:51
Interceptions:3
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life

Johnson was born in Wildwood, Florida in 1973.[1] He attended Wildwood High School,[2] where he played high school football for the Wildwood Wildcats.

College career

Johnson accepted an athletic scholarship 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.[3] 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.[3] He finished his four years as a Gator with 16.3 quarterback sacks and 26.8 tackles for a loss.[3]

In a retrospective series published by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, Johnson was rated No. 32 among the top 100 Gators of the first 100 seasons of Florida football.[4] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2007.[5][6]

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts selected Johnson in the first round (fifteenth pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft.[7] He played for the Colts from 1995 to 2001.[8] During those seven seasons, he started eighty-four of 104 games, recording 269 tackles, thirty-three quarterback sacks and two interceptions.

Atlanta Falcons

Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 2002 season, and he played for the Falcons from 2002 to 2003. In the two years, he started five of thirty-two games, recording sixty-seven tackles, and fifteen sacks.[8]

Denver Broncos

Johnson was traded by the Falcons to the Denver Broncos before the 2004 season in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round selection in the 2005 NFL draft. In his only season with the Broncos, he played in thirteen games, recording sixteen tackles, three sacks and an interception. The interception came on a deflected pass in the famous "snow game" with the Oakland Raiders, and Johnson put on an impressive burst of speed to reach the end zone. [8]

NFL Career Statistics
Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
1995IND 162181534.5---0--0000
1996IND 126221480.0---0--0000
1997IND 15155638184.5-118018-1200
1998IND 16165538178.0---0--1000
1999IND 16164534117.510000040100
2000IND 13134029115.061-10-131000
2001IND 16163420143.54000041000
2002ATL 162292547.08000030000
2003ATL 163423488.08000011140
2004DEN 130161513.0513213210000
149893572629551.041349132165440

Playoffs
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
1995IND 312200.0------0000
1996IND 106600.0------0000
1999IND 114130.00-----0000
2000IND 113121.00-----0000
2002ATL 202110.01-----0000
2004DEN 101100.01-----0000
93181261.02-----0000

See also

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Ellis Johnson Archived September 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 77, 88, 97, 99, 101, 103, 125, 153–154, 182 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  4. Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 32 Pat Dooley," The Gainesville Sun (August 2, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  5. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  6. "Nine Members Inducted Into University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (April 13, 2007). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  7. "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  8. National Football League, Historical Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved June 3, 2010.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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