Ellis thrilled to finally make Super Bowl
Shaun Ellis of the New England Patriots celebrates after a sack against the Denver Broncos. (Jan. 14, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS -- Shaun Ellis can barely believe he's actually made it to the NFL's biggest stage after inching so close to it twice with the Jets.
"To be able to get to this game after the past two years," the Patriots defensive end said Tuesday, "to finally get over that hurdle, is humbling and a mind-blowing experience."
Almost like the way things ended for Ellis' former team this season. The Jets' locker- room dissension has been well documented, and LaDainian Tomlinson said the feud between Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes was as bad as any he's ever been around.
"When I was there, I didn't see any of that," Ellis said. "For that to happen, it's uncalled for. That is the leader of your team, the quarterback. No matter what, you have to ride it out together, keep it in house.''
Ellis said those negative vibes might not have developed if the Jets hadn't cut loose so many well-respected voices. "I was one of the leaders, you have to understand," he said. "You had Damien Woody, Kris Jenkins, Tony Richardson. You had a locker room full of guys who weren't that way."
As for next season, one guy who most likely won't return to the Jets is Plaxico Burress. He soon will be a free agent.
Burress is a close friend of the Giants' Brandon Jacobs, who told ESPN.com: "I don't see him back with the Jets next year at all. I don't know what he's thinking but they've got a lot of things going on over there, and I don't know if he wants to be part of that."
Jacobs also suggested the Jets didn't utilize Burress properly. "I don't see him there due to [the lack of] success he had last year," he said, "and I don't think it had anything to do with him. I'll leave it at that."
That seemed to be a slight of Sanchez, who hasn't been heard from since the day after the season ended. He and Ellis endured difficult losses in back-to-back AFC title games.
"I wanted to get to see the championship," Ellis said, "but for some reason, we weren't able to get it done. And then to come here on top of that and walk into the locker room like 'Oh, God, I'm a Patriot now,' it's definitely been mind-blowing."
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