BenJarvus Green-Ellis explained

Number:42
Position:Running back
Birth Date:2 July 1985
Birth Place:New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:232
College:Indiana
Ole Miss
Undraftedyear:2008
Pastteams:
Highlights:
Statlabel1:Rushing attempts
Statvalue1:1,008
Statlabel2:Rushing yards
Statvalue2:3,914
Statlabel3:Receptions
Statvalue3:52
Statlabel4:Receiving yards
Statvalue4:418
Statlabel5:Total touchdowns
Statvalue5:42
Pfr:GreeBe00

BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis (born July 2, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers and Ole Miss Rebels. Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

Because of his segmented name, Green-Ellis is nicknamed "the Law Firm". He never had a fumble with the Patriots.[1] [2]

Early life

Green-Ellis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Latonia Green and Ronald Ellis.[3] He attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, and was a student and a letterman in football and track for the Purple Knights athletic teams. He was named as an All-City selection and as an All-Metro selection, and the Clarion Herald and the New Orleans Times-Picayune named him as an All-District selection. Also a standout track athlete, he lettered twice in track & field, where he was an All-District selection and an All-Region selection.

College career

Before transferring to Mississippi,[4] Green-Ellis was a productive running back for Indiana University in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.[5] Green-Ellis transferred when then-coach Gerry DiNardo was fired and replaced by Terry Hoeppner before the 2005 season. As a freshman in 2003, Green-Ellis had a breakout year with 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 225 carries.[6] As a sophomore in 2004, Green-Ellis was a part of a two running back rotation with Chris Taylor.[7] Still, he led the team with 794 yards rushing on 231 carries and scored five touchdowns.[8]

At Ole Miss, Green-Ellis was only the second running back in the school's history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.[9] As a junior in 2006, Green-Ellis posted 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns on a school record of 234 carries.[10] During his senior season in 2007, he recorded 1,137 yards and six touchdowns.[11] He was named as an All-SEC first-team selection by the Associated Press.[12]

Professional career

New England Patriots

2008 season

Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2008.[13] He was waived by the team on August 30, 2008, and signed to the team's practice squad on September 1, 2008.[14] He was promoted to the active roster on October 11.[15]

Green-Ellis made his NFL debut on October 12, 2008, recording one catch for nine yards against the San Diego Chargers.[16] October 20, 2008, the same day that the Patriots placed fellow running back Laurence Maroney on injured reserve, Green-Ellis had his first NFL start in the Patriots' 41–7 victory against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. Green-Ellis had 65 yards on 13 rushes in the second half, and scored his first touchdown on a 1-yard run, entering the end zone untouched.[17] [18] During Sunday Night Football's November 2, 2008, broadcast, Al Michaels and John Madden noted that his Patriots teammates had nicknamed Green-Ellis "Law Firm," on account of his multi-part name.[19] In Week 10, against the Buffalo Bills, Green-Ellis had his first 100-yard game in the NFL (with 105 yards), and scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game, giving him a touchdown in every NFL game he had started at the time.[20] [21] The one-yard touchdown run capped a 92-yard drive whose 19 plays tied a franchise record for most plays on one drive.[22]

2009 season

Green-Ellis played in 12 games in the 2009 season. He had 26 carries for 114 rushing yards.[23]

2010 season

Following the team's trade of Laurence Maroney and early-season injuries to Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk,[24] [25] Green-Ellis saw an increased role in the Patriots offense. In Week 3, he rushed for 98 yards on 16 carries (6.1 yard average) and a touchdown in a win over the Buffalo Bills.[26] He made his first start of the season the next week, rushing for 76 yards on 16 carries and adding another touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.[27] In Week 8, against the Minnesota Vikings, he had 17 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the 28–18 victory.[28] On Thanksgiving, Week 12, against the Detroit Lions, Green-Ellis ran for two touchdowns in a Patriots win.[29] He added another two touchdowns in a 45–3 Patriots win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 13.[30] In Week 17 against the Dolphins, Green-Ellis eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau on the season, becoming the first Patriots running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Corey Dillon in 2004.[31]

Green-Ellis finished the 2010 season with 1,008 rushing yards on 229 carries (4.4 yard average), and 13 rushing touchdowns.[32]

2011 season

During the 2011 season, Green-Ellis split playing time with several other running backs, primarily Danny Woodhead.[33] In Week 5, a 30–21 victory over the New York Jets, he had 27 carries for 136 yards and two touchdowns.[34] At the end of the 2011 season, Green-Ellis and the Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XLVI. He started the game and had ten carries for 44 yards and two receptions for 15 yards, but the Patriots lost 21–17 to the New York Giants.[35] He rushed for 667 yards from 181 attempts with 11 touchdowns for the AFC Champion Patriots, with a yards per carry average of 3.7. He also had nine receptions for 159 yards.[36]

Cincinnati Bengals

On March 21, 2012, Green-Ellis signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.[37] On September 23, 2012, in a game against Washington, Green-Ellis recorded his first career fumble, ending an impressive record of 589 touches without a fumble.[38] In the following game, a 27–10 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green-Ellis fumbled two more times, but did not have another fumble the rest of the regular season.[39] He had four games going over 100 rushing yards in a five-game span from Weeks 11–15. Despite playing in only fifteen games, he gained 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the second time in his career.[40]

Green-Ellis was paired with rookie Giovani Bernard and as a result of Bernard's effectiveness both rushing and receiving, his snaps declined in the 2013 season.[41] In the 2013 season, Green-Ellis had 220 carries for 756 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.[42] On August 29, 2014, he was released by the Bengals, who added Jeremy Hill in the draft.[43] [44]

NFL career statistics

YearTeamGPRushingReceivingFumbles
Att Yds Avg Y/G Lng TD Rec Yds Lng TD Fum Lost
NE9 74 275 3.7 30.6 15 5 3 37 20 0 0 0
NE12 26 114 4.4 9.5 29 0 2 11 6 0 0 0
NE16 229 1,008 4.4 63.0 33T 13 12 85 16 0 0 0
NE16 181 667 3.7 41.7 18 11 9 159 53 0 0 0
CIN15 278 1,094 3.9 72.9 48 6 22 104 13 0 3 2
CIN16 220 756 3.4 47.3 25 7 4 22 10 0 2 2
Career 84 1,008 3,914 3.9 46.6 48 42 52 418 53 0 5 4

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MacPherson . Brian . February 4, 2012 . After four years without fumbling, Green-Ellis has "ultimate" trust of Patriots coaches . dead . https://archive.today/20130201054345/http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/patriots/2012/02/after-four-years-without-fumbling-green-ellis-has-ultimate-trust.html . February 1, 2013 . August 21, 2012 . The Providence Journal.
  2. Web site: Graziano . Dan . September 23, 2012 . Rapid Reaction: Bengals 38, Redskins 31 . August 8, 2023 . ESPN.com . en.
  3. Web site: Shaughnessy . Dan . November 10, 2008 . Green-Ellis now the name of the game . November 10, 2008 . Boston.com.
  4. Web site: Wilson . Doug . January 27, 2005 . Green-Ellis leaving Indiana for Ole Miss . August 8, 2023 . The Herald-Times . en-US.
  5. Web site: January 26, 2005 . Green-Ellis Leaves Team . 2024-05-15 . Indiana University Athletics . en.
  6. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2003 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  7. Web site: 2004 Indiana Hoosiers Stats . August 8, 2023 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  8. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2004 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  9. Web site: Borges . Ron . September 7, 2011 . Not easy being BenJarvus Green-Ellis . August 8, 2023 . Boston Herald . en-US.
  10. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2006 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  11. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2007 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  12. Web site: December 5, 2006 . 2006 Associated Press All-SEC football team. Associated Press . August 8, 2023 . ESPN.com . en.
  13. Web site: Dunne . Tyler . January 30, 2012 . Super Bowl's undrafted players no longer overlooked . August 8, 2023 . JSOnline.com . en.
  14. Web site: Battista . Judy . November 11, 2008 . Patriots Lose Stars but Get Job Done . August 8, 2023 . New York Times . en.
  15. Web site: October 11, 2008 . Patriots sign RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis to active roster . August 8, 2023 . Patriots.com . en-US.
  16. Web site: New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers - October 12th, 2008 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  17. Web site: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - October 20th, 2008 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  18. Web site: Green-Ellis has a productive debut in Patriots backfield. The Providence Journal. Robert. Lee. October 21, 2008. November 17, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081024080546/http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/projo_20081021_green_ellis.133e7edf2.html. October 24, 2008 . live.
  19. Web site: Powell . Brian . November 3, 2008 . SNF Live-Blog: Patriots @ Colts, 1st Half . August 8, 2023 . Awful Announcing . en-US.
  20. Web site: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - November 9th, 2008 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  21. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2008 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  22. Web site: Patriots vs. Bills game notes. New England Patriots. November 9, 2008. August 10, 2009.
  23. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2009 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  24. Web site: Reiss . Mike . September 14, 2010 . Patriots trade running back Maroney to Denver . August 8, 2023 . ESPN.com . en.
  25. Web site: September 29, 2010 . Patriots Getting Thin at Running Back As Fred Taylor Misses Practice With Toe Injury . August 8, 2023 . NESN.com . en-US.
  26. Web site: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - September 26th, 2010 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  27. Web site: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - October 4th, 2010 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  28. Web site: Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots - October 31st, 2010 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  29. Web site: New England Patriots at Detroit Lions - November 25th, 2010 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  30. Web site: New York Jets at New England Patriots - December 6th, 2010 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  31. Web site: New England Patriots Single-Season Rushing Leaders . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  32. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2010 Game Log . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en . December 7, 2017.
  33. Web site: 2011 New England Patriots Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  34. Web site: New York Jets at New England Patriots – October 9th, 2011 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  35. Web site: Super Bowl XLVI – New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – February 5th, 2012 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en . December 6, 2017.
  36. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2011 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  37. Web site: March 22, 2012 . Green-Ellis signs three-year deal with Bengals. Associated Press . August 8, 2023 . ESPN.com . en.
  38. Web site: September 27, 2012 . Green-Ellis hopes his first career fumble was his last . August 8, 2023 . NBC Sports . en-US.
  39. Web site: Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars – September 30th, 2012 . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  40. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2012 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  41. Web site: 2013 Cincinnati Bengals Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  42. Web site: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2013 Game Log . August 8, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  43. Web site: ESPN.com. Bengals cut BenJarvus Green-Ellis. August 29, 2014. Coley. Harvey. May 1, 2016.
  44. Web site: Alper . Josh . August 13, 2015 . BenJarvus Green-Ellis says "phone's been ringing," looking for right team . August 8, 2023 . NBC Sports . en-US.