Riki Ellison

Riki Ellison

Ellison in November 2007
No. 50
Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1960-08-15) August 15, 1960 (age 52)
Place of birth: Christchurch, New Zealand
Career information
High school: Tucson (AZ) Amphitheater
College: Southern California
NFL Draft: 1983 / Round: 5 / Pick: 117
Debuted in 1983
Last played in 1992
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (1983–1989) Los Angeles Raiders (1990–1992)
Career highlights and awards
3× Super Bowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
Career NFL statistics
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Riki Morgan Ellison (born August 15, 1960, in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a former linebacker, who went by Riki Gray while in college at USC as an All-Pac-10 player in 1982.

College career[edit]

Ellison was part of a USC Trojans team that went to the Rose Bowl and won a national championship.

Professional career[edit]

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 before David Dixon who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 2004. Jerry Attaway, his conditioning coach at USC and (teammate) Ronnie Lott had convinced Bill Walsh to take him.

Ellison won three Super Bowls during his seven years with the 49ers.^[1] 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.^[2] He played his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance[edit]

In 2002 Riki launched the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance a non-profit organization with mission to advocate for the deployment and development of a missile defense system.

Youth Impact Program[edit]

In 2005, Mr. Ellison founded the Youth Impact Program for disadvantaged, poverty-stricken and at-risk adolescent boys in US inner cities.^[3] The program places them in an educational setting for five weeks, exposing them to academics, life skills and athletics in a University setting. The program provides the boys with clothing, food and permanent mentors who track and support the young men year-round. The Youth Impact Program is now in four major cities – San Francisco, New Orleans, Houston, and Syracuse– and has twice been recognized by the United States Congress in Congressional Resolutions for its achievements, innovation and impact.

Personal[edit]

Ellison is part Māori. At eight, Ellison moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with his father, Dan, who went on to become an economic advisor to the United Nations. Shortly thereafter, Riki's parents divorced and he relocated with his mother to Los Angeles, where she remarried Dennis Gray. Ellison went to high school in Tucson, AZ. The Ellison family comes from a strong sporting background, he is related to professional Rugby players Tamati Ellison and Jacob Ellison who both played in Super Rugby, Tamati now playing in Japan and Thomas Ellison who became one of the original All Blacks and the first Maori lawyer.

In 1992, Ellison relocated his family to New Zealand and attempted to bring a college bowl game called the Haka Bowl to New Zealand.

Ellison's son, Rhett, also became an NFL player.

References[edit]

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