Westfield State’s Alijah Ellis misses senior season due to pandemic
Westfield, Mass. (BVM) — Senior defensive back Alijah Ellis missed out on his senior season due to the pandemic. The NCAA canceled all Division III sports for the year because of Covid-19, as seniors from across the country will miss out their final seasons as collegiate athletes.
For the past couple of months it’s been a roller coaster whether or not fall sports were going to happen, leaving athletes on their toes waiting for a decision from the NCAA. For Ellis it’s been a tough process.
“During the pandemic it’s been hard for me, but I’ve been trying to find ways to make life better by keeping myself busy,” Ellis stated. “Like staying in the weight room and continuing the grind because it never stops even during a pandemic.”
Missing out on your senior season can be very tough to deal with, especially during a pandemic.
“Missing out on my senior season definitely gave me a different perspective on life and how it’s too short,” Ellis said. “I didn’t get to show my full potential for my senior season which bothers me because I’ve worked so hard up until this point and to not be able to play this season just puts things in perspective for me.”
When Ellis joined the Owls in 2017, he came in nervous, but confident and ready to work. During camp, he quickly started to gain attention from the coaching staff because of his amazing skill set on the field.
Before Ellis became a top–tier defensive back, he was an offensive player, playing the running back position at his alma mater Derby High in Connecticut. When looking at the Westfield State football roster, he noticed that there weren’t enough defensive backs.
“At first I got recruited to play offense but they needed defensive backs so I looked at it as an opportunity to play,” Ellis stated. “I just took it and ran with it and ended up being one of the best and continued to grow love and better my game as a defensive back.”
Ellis played in 10 games tallying 28 tackles on the season as a freshman. He quickly gained trust from the coaching staff and hasn’t looked back, becoming one of Westfield State’s top cornerbacks.
On the field Ellis showed the leadership skills needed for the Owls’ defense. His play did much of the talking but when Ellis did speak, everyone listened.
From his freshman year to his junior year, Ellis showed his growth at the position. His numbers went up drastically, from 28 tackles his freshman year to 69 tackles his junior year, including three interceptions.
Ellis was a very big part of the Owls’ defense, where he became a vocal leader on the field and made everyone want to be a better version of themselves off it. He made every player on the roster believe that they can change the game at any point in the game.
Ellis showed fierceness and dedication to succeed on the field. His mindset is to never take plays off and he tries to model his game after an NFL player that does just that.
“I try to model my play-style after Tyrann Matthieu, the Honey Badger,” Ellis said. “Not the biggest on the field but fearless and will always step-up to a challenge.”
Alijah never backed down from a challenge on the field. When challenging another player, whether it’s at practice or during a game, he tries to always get the best out of them. Ellis understood that aspect of the game and during practices, he would try to use this method.
When looking back on his career Ellis doesn’t have any regrets throughout his playing time.
“Honestly, nothing,” Ellis said. “I started off at a good spot. The only thing I could say is, don’t take it for granted because it flies by in a blink of an eye. So seize every moment with no regrets and I try to live by that till this day.”
As his career comes to an end, Ellis has some advice for incoming players.
“For the next wave of athletes going into their freshmen year, don’t take anything for granted and every camp you participate in, make sure you go 100%” Ellis said. “Like it’s your last game you’ll ever play in because when that time comes, you will be looking back just like I am in this moment.”
There’s always that one thing an athlete misses the most when reminiscing about their time playing and one thing sticks out to Ellis most.
“The one thing that I will miss the most about playing college football at Westfield State University is the atmosphere on game days and being in the locker room with the fellas because I will never ever get that back,” Ellis said. “I’m just so grateful to be able to meet such guys during my years of playing here at WSU.”
Ellis will be graduating this upcoming May with a degree. After graduation, Ellis will look to use his leadership skills he’s learned out on the field, in life.
