Riki Ellison
Encyclopedia
Riki Morgan Ellison is a former linebacker
, who went by Riki Gray while in college at USC
as an All Pac 10 player in 1982.
team that went to the Rose Bowl
and won a national championship.
Ellison was a brother of Phi Gamma Delta
Fraternity (FIJI) while at USC.
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 Bowl
s during his six years with the 49ers and was drafted alongside a pair of future Pro Bowl
ers, running back
Roger Craig and center/guard Jesse Sapolu
. He played his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders.
a non-profit organization with mission to advocate for the deployment and development of a missile defense system. The organization boasts over 10,000 members.
, 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 Rugby
superstar 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.
In 2001, while working for Lockheed Martin in Washington, DC, Riki was named the Head Coach of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia
. This is the same high school that was portrayed in Remember The Titans
. He did this without pay. As he said it was all about "helping kids".
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, who went by Riki Gray while in college at USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
as an All Pac 10 player in 1982.
College career
Ellison was part of a USC TrojansUSC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
team that went to the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
and won a national championship.
Ellison was a brother of Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
Fraternity (FIJI) while at USC.
Professional career
The NFL San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
chose him with their fifth-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
becoming the first ever New Zealander and Maori to play in Professional Football before David Dixon who played for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
from 1994 to 2004. Jerry Attaway, his conditioning coach at USC and (teammate) Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
had convinced Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh (football coach)
William Ernest "Bill" Walsh was a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford Cardinal football team, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense....
to take him.
Ellison won three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s during his six years with the 49ers and was drafted alongside a pair of future Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
ers, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Roger Craig and center/guard Jesse Sapolu
Jesse Sapolu
Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961, Apia, Western Samoa, is a former football player in the National Football League. Sapolu played both center and offensive guard, and spent his entire career in a San Francisco 49ers uniform....
. He played his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders.
Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
In 2002 Riki launched the Missile Defense Advocacy AllianceMissile Defense Advocacy Alliance
The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to building broad public support for the development and deployment of an effective missile defense system for the United States. Founded in 2002, by Riki Ellison, the 501 non-profit participates in the advocacy and...
a non-profit organization with mission to advocate for the deployment and development of a missile defense system. The organization boasts over 10,000 members.
Youth Impact Program
In 2005, Mr. Ellison founded the Youth Impact Program for disadvantaged, poverty-stricken and at-risk adolescent boys in US inner cities. 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
Ellison is part Māori. At eight, Ellison moved to Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia with his father, Dan, who went on to become an economic advisor to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Shortly thereafter, Riki's parents divorced and he relocated with his mother to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, 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 Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
superstar Tamati Ellison
Tamati Ellison
Tamati Ellison is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays for the Ricoh Black Rams in the Japanese Top League competition. His position is utility back. He previously played for Wellington in the Air New Zealand Cup and Super Rugby for the Hurricanes...
and Jacob Ellison
Jacob Ellison
Jacob Ellison is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays for the Hurricanes in the Super 14. He is the younger brother of teammate and utility back Tamati Ellison. Jacob plays the position of prop...
who both played in Super Rugby, Tamati now playing in Japan and Thomas Ellison
Thomas Ellison
Thomas Rangiwahia Ellison, also known as Tom Ellison was a New Zealand rugby union player and lawyer. He led the first New Zealand representative rugby team organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union on their 1893 tour of Australia.Born in Otakou, Otago, Ellison was the first Māori to practise as a...
who became one of the original All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
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
Haka Bowl
The Haka Bowl was a proposed American college football game scheduled to be played in New Zealand in 1996.Named for the traditional Māori haka, and promoted by NFL linebacker Riki Ellison, the Haka Bowl was planned to be the first post-season bowl game to be played outside the United States in half...
to New Zealand.
In 2001, while working for Lockheed Martin in Washington, DC, Riki was named the Head Coach of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. This is the same high school that was portrayed in Remember The Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
. He did this without pay. As he said it was all about "helping kids".