Happy Ellis returns to field
08:33 PM CDT on Sunday, September 30, 2007
• E-mail
IRVING – All Greg Ellis has ever wanted from Jerry Jones is peace of mind. Two days ago, the owner finally gave it to him by reworking his contract.
Ellis and Jones agree that's the only reason Ellis was on the field Sunday, contributing 1½ sacks to the Cowboys' 35-7 blowout win over hapless St. Louis.
Give Jones credit for putting his ego in his back pocket and working out a deal with Ellis that finally turned the 32-year-old's frown upside down and put him on the field. Jones, Ellis and James Williams, Ellis' agent, refused to divulge the agreement's details.
For the record, Ellis' $2.5 million salary was guaranteed the moment he made the team. So this is not a case of Ellis extorting Jones. Or holding his talent hostage from the team.
It was strictly business.
Ellis has an insurance policy that allowed him to play four games before deciding whether to retire and collect insurance money for a career-ending injury or continue playing, forfeiting any future claims.
"If things didn't go well today," Ellis said, "what Jerry did was show me that they just weren't going to throw me away like trash."
Earlier this week, Ellis told coach Wade Phillips and Jones that he wasn't healthy enough to start the four-game process. On Saturday morning, Jones arrived at Ellis' home and hammered out a deal, which had to be finalized by 3 p.m. to go into effect for Sunday's game.
"He had some insurance issues about this injury that were compromising him, and it took us to about 2:59 to take care of those issues so he could go out there and compete without worrying about it," Jones said. "He had been wanting to get out there; our agreement let him do it."
After shaking hands, Ellis promised the owner six sacks against St. Louis. The Cowboys wound up with three but consistently pressured Marc Bulger, limiting him to 114 yards passing and an interception before coach Scott Linehan mercifully benched him.
Ellis, played in passing situations, a role he envisions having all season because he's still not 100 percent healthy. For the Cowboys to become an elite unit, they need Ellis to play at a high level. The progress from Week 1 through Week 4 is easy to see.
Dallas' defense has allowed 30 points in its last three games.
DeMarcus Ware sacked Bulger once but forced the Rams to account for him every play. Ellis took advantage of one-on-one blocking to record his first sack on St. Louis' first possession of the second half.
On third-and-8, Ellis dropped Bulger. As Ellis crawled off the fallen quarterback, the hugs came – from Ware and Terence Newman on the field and from Phillips on the sideline.
Even inactive Keith Davis, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, jumped on Ellis' back to congratulate him. In the owner's box, Jones celebrated with his sons.
"I was hugging him in my mind," Jones said. "I just knew he was going to get one today."
Ellis even took a moment to wave at his two young children.
"This is the most excitement I've ever gotten from playing football," Ellis said. "This one had a little more emotion because when I left the field after tearing my Achilles', I really thought that was going to be it for me and football."
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys led 35-7.
Anthony Spencer is the future and Kevin Burnett has pass-rushing skills, but neither compares to Ellis as a pass rusher. Ellis has never had a double-digit sack season, but he has five seasons with at least 7 ½ sacks.
And he's done it without anyone remotely close to Ware rushing the passer from the other side. With Ware, Ellis will thrive.
After the game, the bitter Ellis we've seen and heard for much of the last year had disappeared. No longer did he want to be traded. Or released.
Finally, the man known for his pessimism was genuinely happy.
It showed as he answered questions from waves of reporters before he did two television interviews and a radio interview on a phone just before he opened his car door, where his wife and children awaited.
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedc...taylor/stories/100107dnspotaylor.2a4b019.html
