Kevin Ellison Completes His Journey

Standing on the Chattahoochee River, Kevin Ellison was decked out in his cap and gown and a fishing poll, taking the customary photos that college graduates take. On a steamy June afternoon in Helen, Georgia, Ellison proudly beamed as the cameras snapped photos. He looked just like any other proud graduate of Georgia Southern, except that he is not. This day is the culmination of nearly a decade-long journey. He was a Division-I athlete. He was a starting quarterback. He was an all-conference honoree. He helped orchestrate a historic upset of an SEC foe. He threw the first touchdown pass in Eagle bowl game history. And now, after enrolling school in 2012, he can add college graduate to his resume.

As sweat slowly dripped down his forehead from under his mortarboard, he wiped it away as if were nothing and beamed that big smile Eagle Nation had come to know and love. For five seasons, Ellison gave his all, sweating in south Georgia in football pads. Today’s sweat is a little sweeter as it is a metaphor of the hard work it took to get to this proud day.

Ellison came to Statesboro in 2012 as a freshman out of Cornelia, Georgia, after starring at Habersham Central High. There, he tallied 5,100 yards and 83 touchdowns on the ground and 1,412 yards and 15 touchdowns passing in his career. He left high school ranked 10th behind Herschel Walker on the all-time Georgia touchdown list. He was the perfect fit as the Georgia Southern quarterback in the triple-option offense that Jeff Monken was running. After redshirting in 2012, Monken unleashed him in 2013 which culminated with the epic win in The Swamp over Florida. Ellison scored two touchdowns and ran for 118 yards as Georgia Southern racked up 429 yards. In 2014, under new coach Willie Fritz, he rushed for 1,096 yards while passing for 1,001 yards. Ellison was on top of the world as the Eagles burst onto the FBS scene. But in the classroom, Ellison was falling behind.

He was informed in preseason camp that he would have to miss the first two games of the 2015 season due to him not fulfilling his academic progress towards degree requirements. He started the final 11 games, culminating with a big win over Bowling Green in the GoDaddy Bowl. His final season didn’t go as planned under a new head coach but he still earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt accolades. For his career, he officially threw for 3,079 yards and ran for 3,264 and is one of just five players in program history in the 3K-3K Club.

After completing his eligibility, he played a year of professional ball in Italy with the Milano Rinos, but after that season was over, Ellison was faced with the stark reality that his playing days were over. While he had finished his coursework to graduate, he didn’t have the required GPA to graduate. Football was over and he had no plan moving forward. And that’s where we pick up the story.

Tell us how the Kevin Ellison in 2015 who was suspended for two games because of academics is different from the Kevin Ellison who just graduated in 2022.

KE: Honestly, I have changed so much. I think the biggest part of my change came when I came home from Italy in 2018 and I knew that football was no longer going to be a thing. When I got back, I sat down and talked to my mom and Reggie Simpkins in academics and told them I wanted to finish my education. At the time, I was in a very dark place not having football in my life and not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I started working at Ethicon Johnson & Johnson so I could have a steady job and income and I eventually asked myself if I wanted to finish school. After some deep reflecting, I decided to try again. I tried and I failed again, this time for the second time after leaving school. I was really depressed even though I had a good job and that’s when I picked up fishing. Fishing helped me ease my mind and take me out of my depression. It’s crazy how life happens, but one day about two years after that, I was out fishing and relaxing and Reggie called me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to finish my school. I told him that I wanted to do it and Reggie got it all set up and done and here I am today, finishing up my education from Georgia Southern. I knew that if I wanted to make the major moves in my life for myself and my kids, I had to finish my education. I am so thankful that was able to do that and no longer have to worry about finishing up my degree work. It’s a blessing that I was able to finish. Shout out to Reggie Simpkins for really staying in my corner and having 100 percent faith in me and believing in me the whole time. Life has been good. It’s changed a lot and I’ve changed a lot. I’ve matured and I feel like I’m a great person. It’s all worked out and God’s plan had its way. I wouldn’t change anything.

You were in a unique position in that you had a child while in college and you were very involved in making sure you were a part of things. Do you feel like having to grow up and mature that young took away some of your focus on academics in college, but also that now you needed to finish this to set a good example?

KE: No doubt. It’s crazy because my oldest son, Cooper, is the one I had when I was in college in 2015 and will be 7 years old in July. He is such a bright and intelligent kid. Hanging out with him and Carter really motivate me and I think just being around them and how they’re growing into young men really inspired me. Cooper would constantly ask me if I finished my school, because his mom did and went off and started her career. I had to tell him that “No, I didn’t, I just played football.” and he’d asked me if I planned on finishing. That kind of did it for me. Both of them look up to me and bring so much joy to my life that I felt like it was my duty to finish my education  and show them that no matter what, you finish what you started. That was my message to them: even though you may not finish when people expect you to - or when they want you to - you just have to keep trying. It’s easy to quit, but it takes determination to finish.

Do you feel like the lessons you learned in football help carry you to the finish line to get your degree?

KE: Definitely. Football and the people who surrounded me while a student-athlete meant everything to me. Statesboro has a great vibe and all the people who were around me are just so special. Football doesn’t last forever so it’s good to be able to fall back on that education. I learned quickly that even without football, life is going to go on. Life is bigger than just football, but football played a big role in my life and I’m grateful God gave me the ability to play the game at a high level. There are so many life lessons I learned from football like leadership, especially as a quarterback who people relied upon. Having that bond with my teammates made me want to be the person I am today.

Can you talk about the role the EFAA played in helping you get to the finish line?

KE: I don’t even know where to start because the EFAA didn’t have to help me out like they did. I’m so thankful for people like Tracy Ham, Terry Harvin, Dennette Thornton and all of the people involved for helping support me financially in this final step. I’m truly thankful for them to believe in me and helping me finish my schooling. They didn’t have to do that and I’m eternally grateful for their support. It goes to show you the strong bond that Georgia Southern alumni have. It’s not like that everywhere and I’m thankful for the EFAA and Georgia Southern community and to have them in my life.

I know you didn’t walk at graduation, but did you have any sort of graduation celebration?

KE: It’s funny you ask, but I just had a graduation party on the Chattahoochee River up in Helen. We had a cabin and did a lot of trout fishing and cooked what we caught. We had a great time with some of my college teammates and took some photos to celebrate the accomplishment. We still have a group chat on Snap Chat and we talk every day. Those guys are my Day One guys and mean so much to me. They stayed on me to finish and I’m very grateful to have them in my life.

You have a special place in Eagle history and were a crowd favorite. I know football holds a special place in your heart, but how important is it to you to now be able to call yourself a graduate of Georgia Southern?

KE: It’s very important and that was the goal from the beginning. Even after I left Georgia Southern, it was always a big thing for me. It shows that I had the determination to finish my education and that was my main goal in going the college. Being lucky enough to have my education paid for, I felt an obligation to the school to actually finish my degree. So much was invested in me, and every student-athlete at Georgia Southern, that I felt it was right to do this. I wish back then I would have taken my schoolwork more serious, but I’m thankful now that I was still able to finish.

So what’s next for Kevin Ellison?

KE: You know, that’s a good question. I’m working for Ethicon here in Cornelia on the manufacturing floor, but I’m going to try and work my way up to management now. My mom’s been there for 38 years so I’m happy to try and follow in her footsteps. If that doesn’t work out, I’d like to get back into the school system and try to be a P.E. teacher and coach some football.

Thanks for your time and again, from all of Eagle Nation, congratulations!

KE: Thank you! Hail Southern