Over the last couple of months, the Ottawa Redblacks’ front office led by general manager Marcel Desjardins has been extremely busy. Compared to when the CFL was on lockdown, at least. The team has been bringing in a lot of talent, really getting ready to win the Grey Cup the next time the CFL is back in action, hopefully in May of this year (2021).
Among the moves made by the front office in Ottawa, and a crucial move for the Redblacks’ defence was bringing back the team’s sack leader from 2019 Avery Ellis. Ellis, at 26 years old has spent three seasons in the CFL now and in 43 career games the defensive end has been disrupting offensive lines and offensive backfields, making a total 98 tackles, 16 sacks, forcing 2 fumbles and scoring one touchdown. It is without a doubt a big signing for the Ottawa Redblacks and will help the team as they return to the CFL in 2021 with a new look. The Redblacks will have a new coaching staff led by both Paul LaPolice and Mike Benevides and a large group of new players as well starring what looks to be Nick Arbuckle, Jalen Saunders, Cleyon Laing and Don Unamba. Having a new look is something a lot of Redblacks fans and players are excited about, including Avery Ellis, “I’m excited.” he said, “Its going to be fun to be a part of a new team. The last season we played didn’t go as we wanted to but now with some new coaches and some new faces in the locker room I think we can definitely make a run for the Grey Cup again.”
Over the span of Ellis’ career, at both Temple University and now the Redblacks’ he’s been faced with change and it won’t affect him too much moving forward. When asked about it he mentioned, “I’m used to some coaching changes, I experienced the change between both Noel Thorpe and Neilson in Ottawa in ’18 and I think Benevides is a great coach to have here so it will make the change easier.”
For Ellis and the Redblacks it has been well over a year since they have been back on the football field, in action for a CFL game but that doesn’t mean he and his teammates have been just sitting around watching Netflix throughout the past year. Avery Ellis has kept himself busy, getting his Sports Business degree from Temple University and he has also been doing some fun things in the city in Ottawa as well as a lot of cooking .
Learn more about what Avery Ellis has been doing over the span of the off-season and what he plans to do with his Sports Business degree from Temple in the conversation I had with him this past week. The conversation also features some of Ellis’ opinions and thoughts on the future he has in the CFL with the Redblacks as well as some of his favourite memories at TD Place in Ottawa.
JZ MEDIA 