Ellis’ Past No Concern To Eskimos’ Coach

18/02/2009 06:43

'Coma' comment made after trade from Montreal

The Edmonton Eskimos' newest recruit comes with a bit of a reputation after a controversial comment made last year.

Kai Ellis, well respected for his on-field abilities, was at the centre of a vocal barrage with the Montreal Alouettes, after being released and joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a handful of games into the 2008 season.

The Eskimos picked up Ellis, a 28-year-old defensive end, late Sunday in a trade with Winnipeg for safety Siddeeq Shabazz.

Ellis was released by the Alouettes after five games in 2008. At the time, Ellis claimed Montreal GM Jim Popp twice asked him to renegotiate his contract to take a pay cut. After refusing the second time, he was cut after 21/2 years of service and took out his anger on Popp.

"I wish he was playing this game because I'd try to put him in a coma," Ellis told a Winnipeg newspaper prior to facing his ex-Alouettes team. The comment sent shockwaves throughout the league.

"I felt like I was disrespected not as just a player, but as a man," Ellis said at the time, adding the term "sneaky" in describing Popp and his assistant GM, Marcel Desjardins.

But as far as the Eskimos are concerned, they are very aware of what the six-foot-four, 255-pound import brings to the team both on and off the field, having played for Esks assistant coaches Noel Thorpe and Jim Daley in the past.

"I don't see it as a controversy with the Edmonton Eskimos. What happened with players in the past has nothing to do with us now," stressed Eskimos head coach Richie Hall. "It has nothing to do with us acquiring him, or it has nothing to do with the contributions he's going to make on the football field.

"I look at it like this: All of us might not be best buddies with everyone that we come across. Listening to Noel Thorpe and Jim Daley, because they both coached him, they feel the complete opposite. The only thing that I'm concerned with is that he comes in, buys into what we're doing, and goes out and plays hard. Outside of that, we'll never have an issue."

What Hall likes most is Ellis is his ability to play either defensive line or linebacker.

"He's young, he's gifted, he's athletic. He plays multiple positions and that's one of the things we look at, being more than one-dimensional as a player," said Hall. "He's a good person in the locker-room, a good person to be around, so right now we have upgraded our football team in that manner, prior to even free agency."

More from the Edmonton Journal.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Ellis’ versatility and salary allowed the Eskimos to make some of the other moves the've made over the past couple of days.