Chris Ellis Season 2006

49 - Chris EllisPosition: Defensive End
Class: r-Junior
Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 260 lbs.

High School: Bethel
Hometown: Hampton, Va.

Has a chance to be one of the nation's top defensive ends this fall ... Continues to show outstanding ability as a playmaker ... Excels as a pass rusher ... Combines good technique with outstanding athleticism, speed and agility ... Works hard and plays aggressively ... Ranked second on the team in tackles for loss and sacks last season ... Returned an interception for a touchdown against Georgia Tech ... Has been named one of the team's most valuable defensive performers of spring practice each of the last two years ... Listed as the nation's No. 19 defensive end heading into the 2006 season by The Sporting News ... TSN also lists him as a second-team All-ACC pick.

2005: Picked up his first collegiate start in the opener at NC State ... Had three tackles and two quarterback hurries ... Posted two tackles for losses, including a sack at Duke ... Added another sack in the Ohio game and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown against Georgia Tech ... Had a career-high eight tackles in the Marshall game, including a sack ... Also caused a fumble and broke up a pass ... Turned in a tackle for loss and four total tackles against BC ... Had a tackle for loss, two hurries and three total tackles at Virginia ... Picked up six tackles, including a sack, to go with three hurries and a pass breakup against UNC ... Had three tackles, including two for loss and 1.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble and two pass break ups in Tech's Gator Bowl win over Louisville ... Had a total of 41 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks and 14 hurries ... Turned in personal-best lifts in the clean (331) and the push jerk (320) during spring max testing ... Had a sack and three tackles during first spring scrimmage ... Added five tackles, two behind the line, in the second scrimmage ... Was in on three tackles and recovered a fumble in the Maroon-White game ... Shared the George Preas Award as the most valuable defensive player in the spring with Xavier Adibi.

2004: Earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News ... Played in all 13 games, recording 15 solo stops and 18 assists ... Included in those 33 tackles were 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks ... Also had a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, three pass break ups and 14 quarterback hurries ... Played 271 snaps on defense and 100 on special teams in the regular season ... Played 17 snaps in the opener against USC, registering three solo tackles and two quarterback hurries ... Was credited with five tackles, including one for a loss, and four quarterback hurries against WMU ... Had three tackles, including a sack, against Duke ... Led the team with seven total stops against FAMU ... Included in that total were 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack ... Also had a forced fumble and a pass break up ... Had two tackles - 1.5 for loss - at Georgia Tech ... Recorded a big sack in the third quarter that resulted in a safety ... Also had a fumble recovery ... Given the George Preas Award, awarded to the most valuable player of spring practice ... Posted a 350-pound bench, a 304-pound push jerk and a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump in spring testing.

2003: Worked at defensive end while redshirting ... Had the best vertical jump (31 1/2 inches) among the incoming freshmen linemen ... Upped his vertical to 35 inches by spring practice, the fifth-best leap on the entire defense ... Turned in the top 40 time among the ends at 4.56 ... Posted a pair of tackles for loss during the annual Maroon-White spring game.

High School: Was ranked 66^th on SuperPrep's Elite 100 list following his senior season ... Led Bethel with 50 tackles - seven for loss - and 10 sacks ... Played end and outside linebacker for Coach Tracy Parker ... Named an All-American by both SuperPrep and PrepStar as a defensive lineman ... Named to the VHSCA All-Eastern Region honorable mention squad as a defensive end ... Named to the first-team Newport News Daily Press All-Star Team as a defensive lineman ... A first-team Peninsula District selection at end ... Ranked the No. 13 defensive end in the country and the No. 3 prospect in Virginia by SuperPrep ... Rated the No. 21 defensive end in the nation by Tom Lemming on ESPN.com ... Rated the No. 157 prospect nationally and the No. 20 player in the Mid-Atlantic region by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Ranked the No. 4 player in Virginia by The Roanoke Times ... Posted 75 tackles and 15 sacks as a junior.

Personal: Christopher James Ellis ... Born 2/11/85 in Hawaii ... Son of Eric and Laurie Ellis ... Majoring in apparel, housing and resource management.

- INTEGRITY - SERVICE - HONOR - EXCELLENCE - STRONG TOGETHER