My (Hypothetical) Interview with Shaun Ellis

Shaun Ellis has played defensive end for the Jets for almost a decade now, starting 127 games in green and white since the 2000 season. He is currently the longest tenured player on the team and recently I had the pleasure of chatting with him inside the locker room.

First question is, you were born and raised in South Carolina, how was the transition to living near the big city? Did you experience a lot of culture shock? 

You came to the Jets as a first round pick, did you feel a lot of pressure because of that? 

You’ve been with the Jets for almost a decade and seen a lot of players come and go over that time, who’s been your favorite and least favorite teammates in that time? Any particular player or players you were happy to see leave? Why?

The image that fans get of pro athletes is very glamorous and exciting, but what’s the worst part about being an NFL player?

Was there any particular team you were hoping would draft you more than any other? 

What’s the best part about playing football in New York?

You sacked and stripped the ball away from Brett Favre in your first game playing for the Jets, did you or he ever mention that last season when he was on the team? 

How excited were you to have made the Pro Bowl team in 2003? Did it live up to your expectations? How great was playing football in Hawaii for a week? 

If I wanted to stop Shaun Ellis, as an opposing coordinator or player, what’s your best advice? 

Well, unfortunately that was all the time I had with Shaun, but I’d like to thank him a lot for answering my questions.

Why I Love the New York Jets

I had the pleasant luck to be born in the early 1980s, which means that I never got to see Joe Namath play for the Jets except in archive footage. No Super Bowl guarantee for me. I had to make do with Ken O’Brien.

I got to watch The Jets go 6-9, 8-7-1, and 4-12 during my formative years between 1987 and 1989.

Even when the team followed up that run with 6-10, 8-8, 4-12, and 8-8 seasons, did I give up and stop watching? No. 

The reason why is simple—my grandfather.

He had worked for the NYPD for 25 years and then took his pension and ran. He ended up working as a security guard at Hofstra University in the early ’80s. Hofstra, for those that don’t know, is where the Jets have their training camp and practice facility.

Every couple weeks over the summer—whenever I’d see him—my grandfather had another piece of Jets memorabilia for me. Sometimes it was nothing special—a new team photo, a team roster, or just a new team hat. Sometimes he’d have something a little more rare for me—like the time he bumped into Joe Namath in the lunchline and ended up with an autographed football.

Or the time he had to give Ken O’Brien’s car a jumpstart in the parking lot and had a ball signed by both the quarterback and Al Toon. Whatever the gift was, I treasured them all deeply.

I remember spending hours staring at the Jets’ training camp roster and trying to memorize the names, jersey numbers, positions, and colleges of every player on it. All this at just eight years old. 

I liked my grandfather a lot, don’t get me wrong, but we just had nothing in common—except for the Jets. We could both sit and watch a game and both yell at Ken O’Brien for taking a sack again, and again, together.

Can the Jets Make a Landing in the Playoffs Next Year?

At 9-7, the Jets didn’t quite have enough in the tank to extend their year past the regular season last year. 

Out are Eric Mangini and Brett Favre, in are rookies Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez.

But can they help the Jets extend their season this year?

The Jets finished in third place last year behind New England and Miami, who tied at 11-5. Since the end of the season—as happens every year—there has been a lot of player movement.

Miami brought in S Gibril Wilson to help solidify their defense, added depth with CB Eric Green, turned the reins at center over to Jake Grove, and replaced defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday with the much younger Tony McDaniel—none of which are exactly huge moves.

But in Bill Parcells’ second season making calls from an office deep in the bowels of LandShark Stadium, this team can not be totally counted out. Mr. Parcells was responsible for turning the Fins from a 1-15 joke to an 11-5 record last year, so who knows how far he can move them forward in another season.

Of course, any conversation about the AFC East has to involve the perennial contender New England Patriots. Tom Brady will be back under center this year after missing most of last year in a taxi-related injury.

Why don’t you let Gisele spring for a limo from now on, Tom?

Since the last whistle-blow of the season, the Pats were able to lure receivers Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, tight ends Alex Smith and Chris Baker, and running back Fred Taylor to the dark side.  

Bill Belichick exiled defensive back Ellis Hobbs to the City of Brotherly Love and will try to fill his jersey with the Cerberus of Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden and Brandon McGowan. 

Razor Blade Stadium will also now be home to LBs Vinny Ciurciu and Tully Banta-Cain as well. 

The Bills didn’t make any significant changes—in fact the only real move they made was trading away a Pro Bowl left tackle—so we can expect them to be nearly irrelevant by Halloween. Again. 

New England will be the team to beat this fall with the Fins teeth firmly implanted in their ankles and the Bills lumbering off on the planes. But what do we see for the Jets?

The new regime is just getting their feet wet in the vile, brown, muddy waters of the Meadowlands, and will have a chance to compete this year.

But honestly, we’re looking at a rebuilding season, and hopefully taking steps forward toward a much happier start to the next decade. 

 

 

Weaponizing The Jets

Mike Tannenbaum stepped up big time to get quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick in the draft. Now all Sanchez needs is somebody to throw the ball to.

The Jets let go of Laveranues Coles, in what was most likely a salary dumping move and, besides Jericho Cotchery, have very little left on the roster in the wide receiver department. 

Other than Cotchery, the most senior receiver on the Jets’ roster is multi-dimensional threat Brad Smith, at four years in the league.

After him comes Wallace Wright and Chansi Stuckey who have each played in the NFL for three years. Last year Stuckey totaled a whopping 32 receptions in 15 games, while Wright made zero catches and spent the whole season relegated to special teams play.

These are not exactly numbers that make a rookie quarterback feel secure. 

Luckily, the Jets have options. While they’re only $4 million under the salary cap at the moment, there’s quite a few veteran free agents available out there.

Now, I’m not gonna say that four million bucks is gonna get you a hell of a lot of a wide receiver, but there’s always guys like Joe Jurevicius; who missed all of last season and would probably like to collect a pay check this year, even if it’s a small one.

Marvin Harrison is unemployed at the moment and might like to prove that his falling stats the last couple seasons are an anomaly and not old age. Besides, with a bunch of young kids like the Jets have, even a declining Harrison would serve as a great teacher/coach. 

Also waiting to find a home are guys like Justin McCareins, Dane Looker, and Amani Toomer, all of whom wouldn’t have to change addresses to change teams.

Whatever Mr. Tannenbaum chooses to do, it’s obvious that with a rookie quarterback coming in having an experienced receiving corps would not be a bad idea. 

The rest of the roster looks pretty solid and the Jets have a very good chance at winning the division. It’s just this one area that could either help or prevent the Jets from going deep into the playoffs.

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