Hampton coach: Ellis 'a gentle giant'
Kenrick Ellis runs at the NFL Scouting Combine. Credit: AP
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Donovan Rose kept getting identical inquiries from the myriad people who made their way to the campus of Hampton University in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay area these last two years. They were there to gather as much information as possible about Kenrick Ellis.
"Everybody would ask the same question: 'What kind of kid is he character-wise?' " Hampton football coach Rose told Newsday Saturday. "And I said the same thing: He's a good kid. He's a 'yes sir, no sir' kid. He's a gentle giant."
That's not the way he's being viewed by some, though. Ellis, the massive defensive tackle selected 94th overall in the third round by the Jets on Friday night, has a bit of a checkered past. The 6-5, 346-pound behemoth was arrested in April 2010 on a felony assault charge and is facing a July 12 jury trial and as much as 20 years in prison.
This came after he transferred to Hampton from South Carolina in 2008. His lawyer-agent, Howard Shatsky, confirmed that Ellis was kicked off the South Carolina football team as a redshirt freshman because of multiple failed tests for marijuana use.
"I don't know what transpired when he was at South Carolina as far as everything," said Rose, who has been Hampton's head coach since 2009 and is entering his 21st season as a member of the staff. "But when he was here, he had one incident, and other than that, Kenrick was a model guy. He did what was asked of him. He was accountable. You could depend on him. He's going to be on time, and he's going to be a good leader for us.
"So I was glad that he was able to get a team that has the confidence in his ability, and I think that's what the Jets have shown by taking him in the third."
Not without some controversy, though. The Jets have taken some flak for picking a player who has a trial looming, along with the potential of prison time if convicted.
"I think in any situation, you kind of learn from it," Rose said. "I think he's definitely moved on and wants to go on with his life. That's it. He got in a fight over his girlfriend, so that's what the whole commotion is all about. That's probably the only thing that Ken has done or had going to the left since he's been here."
Rex Ryan said he's comfortable with the pick and liked what he saw from Ellis during their conversations.
"We brought him in and I talked to him and felt good about him as a young man," Ryan said Saturday. "But it's part of the process. I just thought when you looked at it, I thought he was a good young man when I met him."
Rose said that's attributable to the way things are run at Hampton.
"It's a different criteria, so he had to be more accountable and disciplined,'' he said. "Hampton has a set of standards -- going to class, take your hats off in the building, dress code. Let's say if Kenrick didn't go to class or didn't do what he was supposed to do, we would hear about it that evening. It's a tight-knit thing. It's almost like a training ground. So I think we have developed Kenrick.
"They got a bargain getting him in the third round," he added. "If he stays healthy, I think he is going to be an All-Pro-type guy."
