Luther Elliss

Luther Elliss
No. 94
Position: Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1973-03-22) March 22, 1973
Place of birth: Mancos, Colorado
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight: 318 lb (144 kg)
Career information
High school: Mancos (CO)
College: Utah
NFL Draft: 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 134
Games started: 119
Tackles: 331
Quarterback sacks: 29.0
Fumbles recovered: 7
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Luther John Elliss (born March 22, 1973) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Utah, and was recognized as an All-American. Drafted in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos of the NFL. He was a two-time Pro Bowler.

Early years

Elliss was born in Mancos, Colorado.[1] He attended Mancos High School,[2] and played for the Mancos Blue Jays high school football and basketball teams.

College career

Elliss received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Utah, and played for the Utah Utes football team as a defensive lineman from 1991 to 1994. He chose Utah since Coach Ron McBride told him that he could also play on the basketball team under Rick Majerus. After one season he decided to play football full-time. He was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection in 1992, 1993 and 1994. As a senior in 1994, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All American, and was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Professional career

The Detroit Lions selected Elliss in the first round (20th pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft,[3] and he played for the Lions from 1995 to 2003.[1] His nickname during his time in Detroit was "Pass Rushing Luther," and earned it with 324 tackles and 27.0 quarterback sacks with the Lions.[4] The Lions released him after appearing in only five games in 2003. He played his final season with the Denver Broncos in 2004, seeing action in eight games and registering two sacks.[4]

In his ten-season NFL career, he played in 134 regular season games, started 119 of them, and compiled 331 tackles, 29.0 sacks, seven fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and four deflected passes.[4] He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1999 and 2000.[4]

NFL stats

Year Team Games Combined Tackles Tackles Assisted Tackles Sacks Forced Fumbles Fumble Recoveries
1995 DET 16 19 9 10 0.0 0 0
1996 DET 14 49 26 23 6.5 0 0
1997 DET 16 59 35 24 8.5 0 2
1998 DET 16 49 37 12 3.0 0 1
1999 DET 15 45 29 16 3.5 3 2
2000 DET 16 39 23 16 3.0 0 2
2001 DET 14 30 25 5 0.0 1 0
2002 DET 14 25 18 7 2.5 1 0
2004 DEN 8 7 6 1 2.0 0 0
Career 129 322 208 114 29.0 5 7

[5]

References

  1. 1 2 National Football League, Historical Players, Luther Elliss. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  2. ↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Luther Elliss. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  3. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1995 National Football League Draft. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Luther Elliss. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Luther Elliss Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
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