Ellis Johnson (defensive lineman)

Games played:	149
Games started:	89
Tackles:	356
Sacks:	51
Interceptions:	3

Ellis Johnson
No. 62, 61
Position:	Defensive tackle, defensive end
Personal information
Born:	October 30, 1973 (age 50); Wildwood, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	288 lb (131 kg)
Career information
High school:	Wildwood (FL)
College:	Florida
NFL draft:	1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Career history
	Indianapolis Colts (1995–2001); Atlanta Falcons (2002–2003); Denver Broncos (2004);
Career highlights and awards
	First-team All-American (1994); First-team All-SEC (1994); CNN Defensive Player of the Year (1994); University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame ;
Career NFL statistics
Games played:
Games played:	149
Games started:	89
Tackles:	356
Sacks:	51
Interceptions:	3
	Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Last updated March 06, 2024

Ellis Bernard Johnson (born October 30, 1973) is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Johnson played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as the National Defensive Player of the Year. He was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos of the NFL.

Early life

Johnson was born in Wildwood, Florida in 1973.^[1] He attended Wildwood High School,^[2] where he played high school football for the Wildwood Wildcats.

College career

Johnson accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1991 to 1994.^[3] As a senior team captain on the Gators' 1994 Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship team, Johnson was a first-team All-SEC selection, an honorable mention All-American, and CNN's National Defensive Player of the Year; he was also selected by his Gators teammates as the team's most valuable player.^[3] He finished his four years as a Gator with 16.3 quarterback sacks and 26.8 tackles for a loss.^[3]

In a retrospective series published by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, Johnson was rated No. 32 among the top 100 Gators of the first 100 seasons of Florida football.^[4] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2007.^[5]^[6]

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts selected Johnson in the first round (fifteenth pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft.^[7] He played for the Colts from 1995 to 2001.^[8] During those seven seasons, he started eighty-four of 104 games, recording 269 tackles, thirty-three quarterback sacks and two interceptions.

Atlanta Falcons

Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 2002 season, and he played for the Falcons from 2002 to 2003. In the two years, he started five of thirty-two games, recording sixty-seven tackles, and fifteen sacks.^[8]

Denver Broncos

Johnson was traded by the Falcons to the Denver Broncos before the 2004 season in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round selection in the 2005 NFL draft. In his only season with the Broncos, he played in thirteen games, recording sixteen tackles, three sacks and an interception. The interception came on a deflected pass in the famous "snow game" with the Oakland Raiders, and Johnson put on an impressive burst of speed to reach the end zone. ^[8]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
1995	IND	16	2	18	15	3	4.5	-	-	-	0	-	-	0	0	0	0
1996	IND	12	6	22	14	8	0.0	-	-	-	0	-	-	0	0	0	0
1997	IND	15	15	56	38	18	4.5	-	1	18	0	18	-	1	2	0	0
1998	IND	16	16	55	38	17	8.0	-	-	-	0	-	-	1	0	0	0
1999	IND	16	16	45	34	11	7.5	10	0	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	0
2000	IND	13	13	40	29	11	5.0	6	1	-1	0	-1	3	1	0	0	0
2001	IND	16	16	34	20	14	3.5	4	0	0	0	0	4	1	0	0	0
2002	ATL	16	2	29	25	4	7.0	8	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0
2003	ATL	16	3	42	34	8	8.0	8	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	4	0
2004	DEN	13	0	16	15	1	3.0	5	1	32	1	32	1	0	0	0	0
		149	89	357	262	95	51.0	41	3	49	1	32	16	5	4	4	0

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
1995	IND	3	1	2	2	0	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
1996	IND	1	0	6	6	0	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
1999	IND	1	1	4	1	3	0.0	0	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
2000	IND	1	1	3	1	2	1.0	0	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
2002	ATL	2	0	2	1	1	0.0	1	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
2004	DEN	1	0	1	1	0	0.0	1	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0
		9	3	18	12	6	1.0	2	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0

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References

↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Ellis Johnson Archived September 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved June 3, 2010.
1 2 3 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 77, 88, 97, 99, 101, 103, 125, 153–154, 182 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
↑ Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 32 Pat Dooley," The Gainesville Sun (August 2, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.
↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
↑ "Nine Members Inducted Into University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ," GatorZone.com (April 13, 2007). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
↑ "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
1 2 3 National Football League, Historical Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved June 3, 2010.

Bibliography

Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football , Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.

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[pfrprofile-1] Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved July 7, 2010.

[dbfprofile-2] tabaseFootball.com, Players, Ellis Johnson Archived September 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved June 3, 2010.

[ufmediaguide-3] 1 2 3 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 77, 88, 97, 99, 101, 103, 125, 153–154, 182 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.

[4] Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 32 Pat Dooley," The Gainesville Sun (August 2, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.

[5] F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.

[6] "Nine Members Inducted Into University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ," GatorZone.com (April 13, 2007). Retrieved July 21, 2011.

[7] "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[nflprofile-8] 1 2 3 National Football League, Historical Players, Ellis Johnson. Retrieved June 3, 2010.

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