Justin Ellis

BIOGRAPHY

Justin Jamaal Ellis, born on December 27, 1990, has made a name for himself as a professional American football nose tackle. Currently a free agent, Ellis’s journey in the football industry has been rich and extensive, covering high school, college, NFL Draft, and multiple team shifts throughout his burgeoning career.

Ellis’s love for football dates back to his formative years at Neville High School, situated in Monroe, Louisiana. The promising footballer received two separate accolades as a first-team all-District 2-4A selection during this period. Ascending to prominence in his senior year, Ellis was named first-team all-state by the LSWA. Further recognition followed as he emerged as a two-time all-Northeast Louisiana selection courtesied by the Monroe News-Star.

His affinity for sports was not limited to football alone. Ellis participated extensively in track and field events, lettering for three consecutive years. His best performance emerged in the shot put where he claimed third place at the state level as a junior. Additionally, Ellis’s talent was apparent in his javelin throw, reaching his career-best throw of 47.2 meters. His crowning achievement, however, was in discus throw, where he clinched the state title in 2009 with a throw measuring 47.15 meters. It was no surprise that Ellis was rated a two-star recruit by Rivals.com.

Following his graduation from high school, Ellis proceeded to Louisiana Tech University, attending from 2009 to 2013. His maiden year saw him redshirt as a true freshman. The subsequent year was marked by his participation in four games and the recording of three tackles. 2011 proved big for Ellis. In addition to being selected as a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) after appearing in all 13 games, he also recorded 20 tackles, 3.5 loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery. 2012 and 2013 saw him increase his number of tackles to 21 and 48 respectively and win conference honorable mention honors.

Ellis’s professional journey began when he was picked by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. His stellar performance saw him named in the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The Raiders offered him a three-year $15 million contract extension in March 2018. However, he suffered a foot injury in Week 1 later that year and was placed on injured reserve, but was back in action on December 1, 2018.

August 31, 2019, saw Ellis placed on injured reserve once more followed by his release on October 8, 2019. However, the Baltimore Ravens picked him on November 12, 2019. Ellis inked one-year contract extensions for 2020 and 2021 consecutively. Despite being released on August 31, 2021, he was re-signed to the practice squad the very next day and advanced to the active roster a few weeks later.

Ellis’s next move was to the New York Giants, who signed him for a one-year contract on March 23, 2022. His first major achievement with the team was a sack on Taylor Heinicke in Week 13. His journey continued with the Atlanta Falcons, who signed him on July 28, 2023, only to release him on August 26, 2023. Ellis was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad on December 6, 2023, but was eventually made a free agent after his practice squad contract expired, and he did not sign a reserve/future contract at the end of the season.