ssmitty

watch out for the food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ellis adjusting to a Saints way of life


Sedrick Ellis (Lisa Blumenfield/Getty Images) By Tabitha Chancellor
Saintsinsider.com Staff Writer
Posted May 15, 2008


The New Orleans Saints traded up to acquire USC DT Sedrick Ellis last month. Now the young defender is ready to begin his tutoring leading up to training camp. What does he think about New Orleans so far? Find out right here.


When Sedrick Ellis hit the field for the Saints rookie minicamp, his thoughts were on making a good first impression.

“Well, being a first-round pick, you have a level of pressure; you want to make a good impression,� Ellis said. “The tempo was very high, everyone wants to come out and be seen. Everything was very fast-paced.�

Ellis was ready, he said, having spoken with fellow defensive tackle Reggie Bush about what to expect. “All in all, I think it went very well. I’m with a coach (defensive line coach Ed Orgeron) that I’ve worked with before, so I kind of knew what to expect.�

Orgeron coached Ellis at the University of Southern California.

“Coach O is a hard coach, you know he’s going to work to get you better, you know he isn’t going to take it easy on you or anything like that. In that aspect, you are always getting better with Coach Orgeron. I think that’s a good thing,� Ellis said.

And Orgeron hasn’t changed since the first time Ellis worked out with him, Ellis said. “He knows my strengths and weaknesses, so I think that’s a good combination.

While Ellis spent rookie camp concerned about his first impression on the Saints coaching staff, he’s prepared to work hard to maintain it. The Saints traded up three selections to acquire Ellis on draft day, giving up their No. 10 overall pick ans a third-rounder to move up.

He hopes his hard work and talent will mean some playing time in the ’08 season.

“Right now, you don’t know, that’s up to the coaches,� he said. “I’m going to work my hardest to put my stamp on this team and work my hard. I’m going to compete for everything I can get.�

Ellis is also adjusting to New Orleans, including the city’s heat and humid weather, which is different from southern California’s milder climate.

“Even when you work out in California and you think you are in shape, the air is a little different here and you have to get acclimated. …� he said. “My body is getting used to it and we’re working it out. I think I came in here in pretty good shape.�

And there’s the New Orleans food.

Ellis wouldn’t be the first Saints lineman to take advantage of New Orleans plentiful restaurants and reputation as a diner’s delight, but, he said, he’s ready to fight the temptation.

“It’s always a concern for a big guy, but as a professional now, you have to be disciplined, get your workouts in and watch your eating habits,� Ellis said.

His focus now is on improving, although he’s pleased with the rate at which he’s learning the Saints’ system and plays.

“I’ve been able to grasp them pretty quickly and to apply them to the field,� he said. “You can always get better, but that’s the stuff I’m working on. I haven’t been able to play football in awhile, but that’s the kind of things I’m working on.�

jergensl

from all the clips i have seen on ellis, he seems to try to eat up blockers and push forward to disrupt the play first and if he is able to get to the qb, that is just a bonus for him.

this will help the saints lb corp to do their job and help are defense a great deal.

i am excited about ellis and how little we had to give up to go get him.

Tobias-Reiper

... so they moved Reggie to DT? Bold move. I like it.

LordOfEntropy

DT eh? I guess he finally put on that extra 10 pounds I've been crying for all this time.

CantonLegend

its about time man somebody needed to step up on defense....even if it is our RB

phatoosdey

lol good stuff

gptsaintsfan

Just came across this video. Since we are discussing Ellis I thought this might fit in nicely. BTW, what is that move at 1:47. Looks like something from the Matrix

I hope we don't regret this pickup years from now. I for one am really looking forward to seeing him plug up/disrupt the middle!

YouTube - USC Pro Day: Sedrick Ellis

CantonLegend

very nice video....notice how when he runs his belly doesnt flop around...thats pure muscle

WillMacKenzie

yeah that's muscle, and this is mr. olympia

http://estb.msn.com/i/32/53AE6646E4B...EFCB771FB3.jpg

Crusader

You see it when he's without his shirt on that he's very nicely built for a 300 pounder. He will only get better as a pro.