x
Breaking News
More () »

UGA alum Dannell Ellerbe able to turn life around, playing for 2nd Super Bowl title

Left photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesRight photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

MINNEAPOLIS -- Dannell Ellerbe is already a Super Bowl champion.

That's why the Philadelphia Eagles linebacker is one of the guys the team has turned to for advice leading up to Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots.

There are only seven guys on the Eagles roster who have played in a Super Bowl. Ellerbe played in and won Super Bowl XLVII when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. He had an interception against Tom Brady and helped the Ravens beat the New England Patriots.

He's hoping to do the same on Sunday.

"You want to beat the best, you got to go up against the best. And he’s definitely the best quarterback to play the game. I’m just looking forward to making plays in this game, too," Ellerbe said.

Ellerbe has played in the NFL for nine seasons. But his career began with a rocky start, going back to his time at the University of Georgia.

Ellerbe went undrafted out of Georgia in 2009 because of injury and character issues. He was charged that year with felony auto theft for allegedly stealing his teammate's car and driving under the influence.

Today, Ellerbe looks back at that and sees it as a turning point in his life. He said he was hanging around the wrong crowd, and he realized the only way he would fulfill his dreams of playing professional football would be if he changed his environment and look at life differently.

"After I got in trouble at UGA, I decided to change my life around and be more positive," he said. "When you're stuck in bad situations, you’re sooner or later going to get in bad situations and do something bad."

Mark Richt, the head coach at the time, suspended Ellerbe, but ultimately allowed him to stay on the team.

"He was fair," Ellerbe said about Richt. "He had one rule, and it was he didn’t tolerate stealing. So when I got in trouble and they charged me for stealing the car, he knew that wasn’t the type of person that I was. He knew I didn’t really steal the car, so I was still on the team. It was something to learn from, and he gave me a second chance to make my life better."

The team that gave Ellerbe a second chance was the Ravens. He got to play with Hall of Famer Ray Lewis who guided him towards a better path.

"To come in and play with a legendary guy like Ray Lewis and a guy that’s all about his business, a great leader, I feel like that did a lot for me coming out of Georgia and being in the stage of life I was in. I mean, I wouldn't change it for the world. The first thing he told me when I walked in the door was like, 'This is a business, treat it like a business. Come here, do your work and go home.' "

His rookie season, Ellerbe started three games. He had an interception returned for a touchdown in the team's week 17 game against the Oakland Raiders. There were bumps along the way, like getting in trouble with head coach John Harbaugh for showboating. But he continued to work and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl title.

He's been to three different teams since, finding his way to the Eagles in November of this past season. He started two games in the regular season and started the team's playoff game against Atlanta.

"He's a guy that's played a lot of football over his career," teammate Beau Allen said. "He's a smart player, plays really hard and plays with a lot of emotion, too. It's nice to know you've got him lined up behind you."

Now Ellerbe has a chance to play for a second Super Bowl ring. His team just has to hold off the Patriots.

"You know you gotta play for 60 minutes. A lot of teams will get up and get complacent, and they’re just falling into the trap," he said. "We’re just going to go out there and keep our foot on the pedal."

You best believe after the comeback he's made in his life, he's not taking any of it for granted.

Before You Leave, Check This Out