MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The biggest stage in the world is set for Sunday’s Super Bowl LII inside of US Bank Stadium as the New England Patriots will square off against the Philadelphia Eagles. And one of Richmond County’s native stars will grace the stage for the second time in his NFL career.
And barring any speculation, he’s “without a doubt 100 percent healthy” and hungry for another ring.
Born and raised in Hamlet, current Eagles’ linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is a name that is easily recognizable around the greater Sandhills region. His name hangs in the Richmond Senior High School football locker room, and every summer he hosts a football camp for local youngsters.
A standout football and track star at Richmond in the early 2000s, Ellerbe was named the Defensive MVP at the 2003 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He played four years at the University of Georgia (2005-2008) before getting picked up by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Now with just New England’s Tom Brady and company standing between him and his second Lombardi Trophy, Ellerbe is grateful for another shot at Super Bowl glory. And he expects to win Sunday night.
“It’s a little bit of a different experience this time around,” Ellerbe said in a telephone interview with the Richmond Observer. “I’ve been here before and know what it feels like. I’m just going to focus on wanting to win.
“I’m glad to be back on the field doing what I do best,” he continued. “I’m a football player. The only thing I’ve been worried about is getting another shot (at winning a Super Bowl). I never doubted myself and when the time came, I’d be ready. And now I’m here and I’m ready.”
At the onset of the 2017 regular season, Ellerbe’s career appeared in question to some, but he never thought that was the case. He was released by the New Orleans Saints on August 25 after being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. And the Super Bowl XLVII champion with the Ravens wasn’t immediately picked up.
But that didn’t stop him from rehabbing and continuing to work hard. While it may have taken a little bit longer than he expected, the Eagles, in need of some insurance in its linebacking core after Jordan Hicks suffered a season-ending injury in week seven, signed Ellerbe in mid-November.
Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia’s successful season seemed in jeopardy as second-year quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending ACL tear on December 10 against the Los Angeles Rams. But fast forward almost exactly two months, and following a magical run by backup quarterback Nick Foles and a shutdown Philadelphia defense throughout the playoffs, Ellerbe arrived in Minneapolis last Sunday for the Super Bowl festivities.
Over the course of his nine-year career, Ellerbe has played in only 80 games because of an assortment of injuries. In 2014, Ellerbe played just one game with the Miami Dolphins before being placed on injured reserve. He’s played in double-digit regular season games only four seasons in his career (2009, 2010, 2012 Baltimore; 2013 Miami), and has never played a full 16-game regular season.
When he arrived in Philadelphia in November, Ellerbe remained inactive for a handful of games. But as the regular season progressed, the Hamlet native found himself playing a larger role at middle linebacker. He made appearances in three games, starting in two of them, and had two tackles in the Eagles’ 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round on January 13.
Due to a hamstring injury, Ellerbe was inactive for the NFC Championship game on January 21, where the Eagles thrashed the visiting Minnesota Vikings 35-7. In their two playoff games this year, the Eagles’ defense has only allowed 22 total points, and was the fourth-ranked defense in the regular season, only allowing 18.4 points per game.
Ellerbe is no stranger to playing for championship culture franchises like Baltimore and New Orleans. And what he’s found since signing with Philadelphia is a lot of similarities to his past experiences.
“The culture (in Philadelphia) is pretty similar to where I’ve played before,” Ellerbe said. “It’s similar in how aggressive we are on defense and how we have a family atmosphere in the locker room. The players and coaches – we care about each other.”
And now with Super Bowl LII’s kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Ellerbe may have more of an upper hand on his opponent than some of his current teammates, as he’s had success against Brady over his career.
Brady and the Patriots have undoubtedly ruled the roost in the NFL since 2000, appearing in 12 AFC Championship games (going 8-4) and winning five Super Bowls in that span (most recently Super Bowl LI in 2017) in that span.
With Brady vying for his sixth Super Bowl ring in Minneapolis Sunday, he’s considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time by many. But flashback to the 2012 AFC Championship game, and you’ll find Ellerbe playing an integral part in defeating the Patriots 28-13 in Foxborough.
In that matchup, Ellerbe snagged a Brady pass intended for tight end Aaron Hernandez with 6:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, helping seal the deal for Baltimore to head to New Orleans for its first Super Bowl appearance in 12 years.
Earlier in that regular season, Ellerbe also recorded 1.5 sacks against Brady in a 31-30 week three win at home.
“He’s (Brady) one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game,” Ellerbe said. “I’ll be ready for whatever they throw at us. You know they’re going to move the ball, and we just have to weather the storm and keep them out of the end zone.
“We can’t get complacent and have to keep the same energy throughout the whole game,” Ellerbe continued when asked what it would take to get a win Sunday. “There’s no letting up. We just have to play the best game we can and we can only control what we do on the field.”
The Eagles, who have adopted the “underdog” moniker throughout the course of the playoffs, are currently not favored to win Super Bowl LII, with the spread ranging from 4 – 4.5 in favor of New England. As this is Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl appearance since 2005 (also against the Patriots), an underdog-win Sunday would crown the franchise’s first-ever championship title.
And the 32-year-old Ellerbe isn’t taking this experience for granted. During the last week, he’s been in practice, walkthroughs and media day. But the best experience so far for Ellerbe is sharing this experience with his two sons, Nevan Antonio (3) and Nygee Dannell (1).
“Having my two sons here to celebrate with me is an experience I’ll never forget,” Ellerbe said. “I didn’t have any kids the last time (Super Bowl XLVII), and it’s always been a dream of mine. They may be too little to remember, but we’re taking lots of pictures and videos for when they’re older.”
If the Eagles are to raise their first Lombardi Trophy Sunday night to a stream of confetti, or even if they don’t, Ellerbe’s story of determination and relentlessness to strive for greatness and never give up should serve as a reminder to Richmond County’s youth that achieving their dreams are within reach no matter what.
The Richmond Observer would like to congratulate Ellerbe on making it back to the Super Bowl, and is rooting him on.
