Gary Ellerson

Gary Tobius Ellerson[1] (born July 17, 1963, in Albany, Georgia[2]) is a former American football player with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.[3] He currently works as a sports-talk radio host on WSSP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as part of The Big Show.[4]

Gary Ellerson
No. 42
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1963-07-17) July 17, 1963
Albany, Georgia
Career information
High school:Monroe (Albany, Georgia)
College:Wisconsin
NFL Draft:1985 / Round: 7 / Pick: 182
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts-yards:169-688
Receptions-yards:19-193
Touchdowns:9
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

Ellerson attended Monroe High School from 1977 to 1981. He played football, was on the track team, and was in band. He received an Honorable Mention on the All Region Team in 1979-80 with 30 catches for 520 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 1980–81, he played on the Georgia All State First Team, All-Region First Team, and Georgia High School All-Star Game, and led AAAA in receiving yards at 42 catches for 820 yards and 9 touchdowns in 10 games.

In 2003, Ellerson was inducted into the Albany Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.[5]

College career

Ellerson was recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. He chose the University of Wisconsin-Madison and enrolled in fall 1981. He played football there until 1984. From 1982 to 1983, his team led the Big Ten in kick-off return yardage and in 1982, he returned 19 kick-offs for 454 yards, averaging almost 24 yards per return. In 1983, he rushed for 820 yards on 161 carries and scored 12 rushing touchdowns. During his time in Madison, Ellerson and the Badgers played in two bowl games: a 7-point loss to Tennessee in the 1981 Garden State Bowl and an 11-point win in the 1982, Independence Bowl over Kansas State.

Professional football career

Ellerson started his professional career as a running back in 1984 with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League, where he was a teammate of Reggie White. He re-entered the NFL Draft in 1985 and was taken in the 7th round by the Packers. He spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons in Green Bay,[6] tying a franchise record with eight kickoff returns in a single game, before being released during training camp of the 1987 season. He then signed with the Lions a short time later.[7] Ellerson played in 8 games with the Lions in 1987, before a knee injury effectively ended his career.[8]

After NFL career

Ellerson returned to college at UW-Whitewater to complete his liberal arts degree. His first job outside the NFL was on the football coaching staff at Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, Wisconsin, where he was running backs coach for the 1990 season, and defensive coordinator for the 1991-94 seasons. He also served as vice president of Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Milwaukee, in charge of community development, shortly after his playing career came to an end.[9] Ellerson entered the car business at Braeger Chevrolet in Milwaukee for five years before embarking on his current radio career.[10]

Media/Radio/TV
Ellerson (first left) at The 60 Yard Line film premiere

Ellerson's began his media career working part-time at WISN (ABC affiliate) in Milwaukee, where he served as co-host of a postgame show – a rare live TV program that accepted phone calls from viewers. Ellerson has been at WSSP radio since 2005. Now labeled "105.7 The Fan", he's one of three co-hosts on the station's afternoon sports talk program, The Big Show, frequently joined by another former Packers player, LeRoy Butler. Immediately following every Packers game, Ellerson and Bill Michaels host the Green & Gold Postgame Show on WSSP 1250 AM/105.7 FM.

Ellerson can also be found on the Spectrum News 1 Roundtable with Dennis Krause and LeRoy Butler, talking Packers twice weekly during the Packers season. He also hosts his own weekly program on Milwaukee's CBS 58, Chalk Talk with Gary Ellerson.

Ellerson has been a part of two Wisconsin Broadcasters' Association award-winning teams, one with Milwaukee's CBS 58 in 2009 for Best Sportscast for Television Large Market and one with WSSP 1250AM in 2010 for Best Radio Show for Large Market Radio - News/Talk.

IMDb records Ellerson as appearing in 4 NFL games during the 1986 and 1987 seasons, as well as the NFL Draft.[11] Ellerson also appeared in The 60 Yard Line 2017 film.[12]

Gary-isms

Formerly Ellerson started each radio show with his signature phrase "What's Crackin' Milwaukee?"

On WSSP 1250AM/105.7FM The Fan, Ellerson can often be heard using the expressions "You People", "Joker", and "What's his name", while also serenading listeners with his renditions of famous songs during Gary-oke.

References
  1. "Gary Ellerson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  2. "Gary Ellerson". databasefootball.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  3. "Gary Ellerson". nfl.com. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  4. "The Big Show". sportsradio1250.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  5. "Albany Sports Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  6. "All-Time Green Bay Numbers 1925-2008". packers.com. December 23, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  7. "Detroit Lions All-Rime Player Roster" (PDF). detroitlions.com. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  8. Seth Emerson (April 28, 2003). "A Tornado touches back down Gary Ellerson has been through a lot since leaving Albany for good over two decades ago". The Albany Herald. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  9. "Muskego-New Berlin - Home". Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  10. "Gary Ellerson's first image of Wisconsin was a chilly one". Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  11. "Gary Ellerson". Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  12. "The 60 Yard Line". January 1, 2000. Retrieved August 25, 2016 – via IMDb.
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