Ellis Lankster

Ellis Lankster (born June 3, 1986) is an American football cornerback for the West Virginia Roughriders of the American Arena League (AAL). He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft.[1] He played college football at West Virginia. He has also been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and New York Jets.

Ellis Lankster
refer to caption
Lankster in 2015 with the Buffalo Bills
West Virginia Roughriders
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1986-06-03) June 3, 1986
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Vigor (Prichard, Alabama)
College:West Virginia
NFL Draft:2009 / Round: 7 / Pick: 220
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles:72
Sacks:1.0
Interceptions:2
Forced fumbles:1
Player stats at NFL.com

College career

Lankster played his freshman and sophomore years at Jones County Junior College.[2] He finished his collegiate career at West Virginia University. He also played in the 2009 Senior Bowl.

Professional career

Buffalo Bills

On August 15, 2009, in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears, Lankster intercepted Bears' backup quarterback Brett Basanez twice within a span of 64 seconds. Both turnovers led to touchdowns for Buffalo, ultimately helping them win the game 27-20.[3]

Lankster got some playing time in the 2009 season as a cornerback in nickel defense situations, due to injuries to other defensive backs. Head coach Perry Fewell said of Lankster, "we think he's gotten better every week for us."[4] He finished the 2009 season with five tackles.[5]

Buffalo released Lankster on the deadline for final roster adjustments in the 2010 preseason, September 4.[6]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Lankster was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League on October 11, 2010.[7] He did not play for Hamilton during his time with the club, rather he learned the intricacies of Canadian football.[8]

New York Jets

Lankster signed a future contract with the New York Jets on January 5, 2011.[9] He was waived on September 2.[10] He was re-signed to the active roster on October 11.[11] His playing time greatly increased in 2012, including significant assignments covering fast receivers, following an injury to Isaiah Trufant.[12] He was released on September 1, 2014.[13] He was re-signed on September 12.[14] He was released on September 23, 2014.[15]

Second Stint with the Buffalo Bills

Lankster signed with the Buffalo Bills on August 17, 2015. The signing marked his return to the team that drafted him. He joined his previous head coach Rex Ryan.[16] He was released by the team on August 31.[17]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (II)

On April 15, 2016, Lankster once again signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.[18]

Atlanta Havoc

Lankster signed with the Atlanta Havoc in December 2017.[19]

References
  1. "2009 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  2. "Bobcat Football Bobcats In NFL". Jones County Junior College. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  3. Bronstein, Jonah (August 16, 2009). "BILLS: Ellis Lankster Rookie Card". Niagara Gazette. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  4. Gaughan, Mark (November 21, 2009). "Bills notebook: Defensive injuries continue to mount". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  5. "Ellis Lankster Profile ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  6. Jones, Tony. "Tough Decisions Made as Bills set 53-man Roster". Buffalobills.com. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  7. Edwards, Drew (October 12, 2010). "Ticats can get win and get in". Hamilton Spectator.
  8. Edwards, Drew (October 14, 2010). "New Ticat defensive backs learning as they go". Hamilton Spectator.
  9. "NFL transactions for January 5, 2011". Pro Football Weekly. January 5, 2011. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  10. Mehta, Manish (September 3, 2011). "Jets trim roster to 53; make two trades". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  11. Jets Media Relations Department (October 11, 2011). "CB Lankster Returns, LB Jones Waived". New York Jets. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  12. Martin, Kimberley A. (November 19, 2012). "Jets' Ellis Lankster draws tough assignment on Pats' Wes Welker". Newsday. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  13. Lange, Randy (September 1, 2014). "A.J. Edds Returns, Ellis Lankster Departs". New York Jets. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  14. Mazzeo, Mike (September 12, 2014). "New York Jets re-sign CB Ellis Lankster". ESPN New York. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  15. "Jets release Ellis Lankster, sign Brandon Smith". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  16. "The Official Website of the Buffalo Bills".
  17. "Fred Jackson released by Bills". www.buffalobills.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-02.
  18. "Four more signings for Tiger-Cats | AM900 CHML | Hamilton News". Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  19. "Havoc sign former NFL Veteran DB Ellis Lancaster". atlantahavoc.com. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
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