Force Player Signs With Panthers
January 10, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Georgia Force News Release
Norcross, Ga - The Georgia Force announced on Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 that defensive lineman Louis Ellis has been signed by the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.
The former AP Little All American and CIAA defensive player of the year from Shaw University was signed by the Force in December and was in training camp with the Miami Dolphins during the summer of 2009 and released on August 30th of the same year.
The signing of Ellis to the NFL didn't catch Force head coach Dean Cokinos by surprise. "When I signed Louis I knew he was on the radar of a few NFL teams. He is a dynamic big man who can play multiple positions. " Cokinos said. "Our continuous goal is to add the best players available to our roster with the knowledge that these players have the ability to move up to a higher league. In the long term, this will strengthen our team as we will maintain their AFL rights. We are extremely happy for Louis and wish him extended success in the NFL."
With Ellis moving to the exempt list, the Force occupied his roster spot with Brandon Freeman (6'2", 205), a highly touted defensive back from the University of Massachusetts. Freeman played the 2010 AFL season with Arizona and was sought after by multiple AFL teams before agreeing with Georgia. The former af2 star with the Arkansas Twisters will add to depth to the Force secondary.
"We are really excited about Brandon joining our team," Cokinos said. "You just don't find too many defensive backs with his size that can flat out cover man to man. He has a long body type as well as excellent ball skills. He is also a strong contributor on special teams, which is vital in the AFL. More importantly, he has a strong desire to compete on daily basis which is a key ingredient to the type of player that we are bringing into training camp."
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