Riki Ellison
Ellison in November 2007
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | August 15, 1960 | ||
| Place of birth: | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Tucson (AZ) Amphitheater | ||
| College: | USC | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1983 / Round: 5 / Pick: 117 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com |
Riki Morgan Ellison (born August 15, 1960) is a former U.S. college and professional linebacker, who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and went by the name Riki Gray while in college at USC as an All-Pac-10 player in 1982. He is the first New Zealander to play in the NFL.
Ellison was part of a USC Trojans team that went to two Rose Bowls and won a national championship. He graduated USC with a degree in International Relations with a graduate emphasis on Defense and Strategic Studies.
The NFL San Francisco 49ers chose him with their fifth-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft becoming the first ever New Zealander and Maori to play in Professional Football. Jerry Attaway, his conditioning coach at USC and (teammate) Ronnie Lott had convinced Bill Walsh to select him in the draft.
Ellison won three Super Bowls during his seven years with the 49ers. He was drafted alongside a pair of future Pro Bowlers, running back Roger Craig and center/guard Jesse Sapolu. In his final season with the 49ers in 1989, he broke his right arm in the final preseason game and was placed on the injured reserve list for the season. He played his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders.
In 2017, Ellison was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
In 2002, Ellison launched the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance a non-profit organization.
In 2005, Ellison founded the Youth Impact Program for disadvantaged and at-risk adolescent boys in US inner cities. It partners with universities, the U.S. Marine Corps, local NFL team, and public school teachers. The U.S. Marine Corps also participates in YIP by providing students with leadership and character development skills training and mentoring.
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