Willie Ellison (2009) - Hall of Fame - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Hall of Fame

Early Life & College

Willie Ellison was born November 1, 1945, in Lockhart, Texas.
He attended Carver High School in Lockhart, where he played football (and also ran track) prior to college.
He went on to Texas Southern University (TSU), where he played college football for the TSU Tigers in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
At TSU, Ellison achieved significant accomplishments: he had a 1,000 + yard rushing season, and at the time of his graduation held the school’s all-time single-game rushing record.
He was named to the Pittsburgh Courier’s 1966 All-America team.

NFL Career

Willie Ellison was selected in the 2nd round of the 1967 NFL Draft (33rd overall) by the Los Angeles Rams.
He played eight seasons in the NFL: primarily with the Rams (1967–1972) and later with the Kansas City Chiefs (1973–1974).
A career highlight: On December 5, 1971, he rushed 26 times for 247 yards against the New Orleans Saints, breaking the previous NFL single-game rushing record of 237 yards (held by Jim Brown) and topping the AFL mark of 243 yards.
- That season (1971) Ellison became the Rams’ primary running back, rushed for ~1000 yards on 211 carries (approx. 4.7 yards per carry) and made the Pro Bowl.
His NFL career totals: according to Pro-Football-Reference, he gained 3,426 rushing yards and scored 24 rushing touchdowns (among other stats).