Nevilles Justin Ellis Continues Prep for NFL Draft... Monroe, LA (Bill Ruple Stadium) Justin Ellis’ nightly ritual consists of the same thing over and over again. Before bed, he can’t help but think of the upcoming NFL Draft. In the morning, it’s the same thing. He even dreams about it, too. The former Louisiana Tech and Neville standout admits he’s tried to stay focused, but he truly can’t wait for the weekend to come to hear his name called. “Believe it or not, I think about it every day,” Ellis said of his goal to play in the NFL. “I wake up dreaming about it. I try to keep calm, but I can’t help.” Ellis has been in Monroe ever since his Pro Day workout in late March caught the eyes of many coaches, scouts and front office personnel, and he’ll continue the same routine until Friday or Saturday when one of the 32 NFL teams draft him. The mammoth defensive tackle trains five days a week at Neville, using a combination of speed workouts, conditioning and yoga — yes, yoga for a 340-pound man. In the meantime, Ellis’ agent has fielded calls from those interested in his services, but Ellis declined to go into details about his private visits. Some NFL Drafts analysts peg Ellis as a natural fit in New England as the heir apparent to defensive tackle Vince Wolfork, which Ellis wouldn’t mind since he grew up a Patriots fan. Then there’s the possibility of a local connection to the Saints, especially since New Orleans linebackers coach Joe Vitt and defensive line coach Bill Johnson, a former Neville star himself, spent extensive time with Ellis at his Pro Day. While specifics are limited, it seems increasingly likely Ellis will wind up either in the third or fourth round. “I guess you have to sit around and watch because you never know, but yeah I got some talk that’s led to me thinking that way (third round),” Ellis said. The difference between the two rounds isn’t much except for the aspect of time. If Ellis doesn’t go in the third round, which takes place Friday night, he’ll have to wait until Saturday morning when rounds 4-7 kick off. Maybe an extra night’s wait won’t be such a negative since it will give Ellis more time to acclimate himself to the NFL via the internet. “I watch YouTube videos on offensive linemen and see how they move and maneuver compared to the o-linemen I faced in college and see the difference to get an idea of how fast the game is,” he said. Ellis began the offseason as a relatively unheralded prospect and has risen up draft charts due to his unique ability to move despite being labeled as a run-stuffer. After putting in a respectable 5.27 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine in February, Ellis ran a hand-timed 5.02 in late March at Tech’s Pro Day. “I think that’s the reason I moved up in the draft,” Ellis said. “They already knew it. It was on film that I could move, it just assured them when I ran at my Pro Day.” WE ARE TIGER PROUD OF YOU, JUSTIN!
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 22:20:10 +0000
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