Ellerbe is a versatile linebacker, having started at all three positions during his career. He found a home in the middle after shifting there as a junior and became a vital cog on the Bulldogs' defense. That unit missed him considerably for a stretch of four 2008 midseason games while he was recovering from a left knee sprain.

His importance to the team showed up in the final statistics. When he was healthy in 2007, the Bulldogs ranked 14th in the nation in total defense, 18th in scoring defense and 16th in rush defense. With Ellerbe battling his sore knee, Georgia finished ranked 22nd in total defense, 59th in scoring defense and 27th in rush defense for the 2008 campaign.

At Richmond County High School, Ellerbe was rated the nation's seventh-best outside linebacker by Rivals.com, adding Atlantic East Amazing 80, North Carolina Top 25, TheInsiders.com Atlantic 100 accolades. He was a first-team All-State selection by the Associated Press, adding Super Prep All-Mid-Atlantic and All-Mid Southeastern Conference honors.

The MVP of the 2003 Shrine Bowl (NC-SC All-Star Game), he registered nine tackles, three pass breakups and one interception in that contest. As a senior, he recorded 165 tackles and nine sacks, adding 24 tackles and five sacks as a junior. He also lettered in track, attaining a personal best of 6'6" in the high jump.

Ellerbe redshirted in 2004 at the University of Georgia. He was listed third on the depth chart at weak-side outside linebacker in 2005, but still managed to record 15 tackles (11 solos) with a pair of sacks and three stops for loss. He also had four quarterback pressures to go with his first career interception.

The 2006 season did not begin for Ellerbe until the fourth game, as he was suspended for the first three contests as a result of an auto accident and subsequent alcohol-related charges. He appeared in 10 games, mostly on special teams, as he produced just seven tackles (4 solos) for the campaign.

Ellerbe was a valuable performer for the Bulldogs in 2007, starting seven times at middle linebacker, three times on the weak side and once on the strong side. The second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection led the team with 93 tackles (63 solos) and finished second on the squad with 4.5 sacks and 12 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He recovered two fumbles, caused another and had his second career interception.

Ellerbe was a preseason All-American, but missed three full games and parts of two others after suffering a left knee sprain vs. Alabama. He started nine games in 2008, finishing with 33 tackles (17 solos) that included a pair of sacks, six stops behind the line of scrimmage and an interception.

Positives: Well-built athlete with the frame to add additional mass. … Versatile defender with experience at all three linebacker positions. … Aggressive to attack the line of scrimmage in run support. … Good speed to the outside to meet the back at the edge. … Reads his keys quickly and puts himself in position to make the play. … Good overall athleticism. … Among the better inside linebackers in the country in pass coverage. … Gets good depth on his drops and reads the quarterback's eyes. … Good short-area quickness and balance in coverage. … Can beat blockers to the action due to his lateral agility and aggression. … Effective blitzer who combines his explosiveness with legitimate hand technique to disengage from blockers. … Flashes explosiveness as a hitter.

Negatives: A bit undersized for the traditional inside linebacker position. … Relies on his athleticism and aggression to beat blockers to the ballcarrier but struggles disengaging from blocks when confronted. … Flashes explosiveness as a hitter, but too often tackles high, leaving him susceptible to missed tackles. … Struggled with a knee sprain in 2008 and wasn't the same player. … Some concern that he played soft in 2008, trying to protect his stock. … Legitimate character concerns. Suspended for first three games of the 2006 season (also spent two days in jail and received two years probation) for pleading guilty to reduced charges of minor in possession of alcohol, reckless driving and unlawful use of a license.)

Compares To: BART SCOTT, New York Jets -- Scott is a little bigger and more patient, but both are impact tacklers who do quite an effective job in stuffing the inside running game. Ellerbe has the same ability of Scott when it comes to defending vs. the pass, as he gets good depth in his drops. He shows better production when playing on the move. That, combined with his speed, means a move to weak-side linebacker could be beneficial to his pro aspirations. Inside the box, when he leaves his chest too exposed it lets the blockers stand him up and wash him out. When given a lane, he is quick to slip blocks and create havoc in the backfield. If a team gets the 2007 version of his bull in a china shop approach, rather than the tentative one who struggled with knee problems in 2008, they will get good value early in the second day of the draft.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 5.8

Body Structure: Ellerbe has a thick, compactly built frame, but lacks ideal size for the position. He has good overall muscle development with a thick lower body and adequate arm length. He has decent width in his chest and shoulders and knotted calves.

Athletic Ability: Ellerbe might lack the tall stature you look for in a linebacker, but he is a well-built athlete with room on his frame to add more bulk. He demonstrates very good closing speed and shows good urgency getting to the ball once he locates it. He might lack great size, but he is an athletic type with the speed to run to the football and the strength to strike on contact. He is a physical tackler with a normal running stride. He shows little arm usage when working in-line and is best when making plays on the move. He flashes above average acceleration to the ball and has the lateral quickness to make plays along the sidelines, thanks to fluid hip flexibility. He lacks ideal size and even though he added 10 pounds of bulk prior to the 2008 season, he can still be stonewalled by an offensive line man's strong hand punch. GRADE: 6.7

Football Sense: Ellerbe does get out of control too often, but he does display good eyes locating blocking schemes and is quick to pick up play-action. He reads hats well, but with his short stature he can lose sight of the ball when working through trash. Even though he has good field smarts, there are times he relies on his athleticism too much and needs to play with better control. GRADE: 6.4

Character: Ellerbe has been compliant the last few years, but he did have quite a bit of legal issues back in 2006 that led to his arrest for driving recklessly and underage driving while under the influence. GRADE: 4.9

Competitiveness: Ellerbe plays as if he is on a search and destroy mission, but there were more than a few whispers that he throttled down in 2008 after suffering his knee injury, concerned more about his draft stock. He does give good effort in pursuit, but whether it was the injury or whatever, he was not the same player in 2008 that he showed as a junior. He is a tough player who has developed confidence in his play. Even when he is a bit late reacting to the ball, once he locates his target he shows great determination to make the play. GRADE: 5.9

Work Habits: Ellerbe is still a work in progress as far as his work ethic goes, but has made marked improvement in his third year in the Georgia program. He works hard in the weight room and does what the coaches ask. He is more outgoing than some teams would like, but he plays at a high emotion level and tries to make his play speak volumes. GRADE: 6.3

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.49

Key and Diagnostic Skills: Ellerbe is a sparkplug on the field. He plays with reckless abandon, but also has a good feel and vision for plays developing in front of him. He is quick reacting to keys and fights hard through trash to make the play. He will get out of control too much, but when he plays within his element he will not be fooled by play-action or misdirection. Because of size issues, he needs to be on the move, as he does not show great ability to locate the ball in a crowd. He is the type that makes quick and decisive reads, sort of reminiscent of the Jets' Bart Scott for his ability to easily flow to the ball (but only when he does not try to out-battle blockers at the Xs). GRADE: 7.3

Playing Strength and Explosion: Ellerbe needs to keep his hands active in order not to get stonewalled by the bigger offensive linemen, but he is stout at the point of attack, staying low in his pads to drive through the lead blocker in attempts to clog the rush lanes. He is better playing on the move, as he can flow to the ball and not have to get into one-on-one battles in the trenches. When he shoots his hands and keeps them inside his frame, he is capable of stunning the interior blocker executing the blitz. He has the speed and explosive burst to close on the play, but despite his weight room strength Ellerbe gets pushed around quite a bit trying to sift through trash. He needs to use his hands better to protect himself from low blocks and when he leaves his chest exposed, a hungry offensive lineman is quick to lock on and control him. He also needs to do a better job of playing off double teams, as the opponents do a good job of attacking his feet. GRADE: 6.2

Lateral Pursuit/Range: Ellerbe compensates for a lack of size and bulk by closing on plays in front of him with good urgency. In a Cover-2 alignment, his speed, change of direction agility and nimble feet could see him shift to weak-side linebacker at the next level. He is sort of like a bull in a china shop though, as he lacks a good concept for taking angles, resulting in him simply over-running plays. He shows good balance and turning motion coming out of his back-pedal and is sort of like a safety with the depth he gets in his pass drops. The reason he could be more productive as a weak-side linebacker is that Ellerbe is at his best playing side to side and flowing to the football. He makes most of his tackles outside the box and shows fluid lateral agility. He has the change of direction agility to clear trash and make plays down the line, but does get in trouble when he attempts to engage and overpower the blocker. GRADE: 6.9

Use of Hands: When he keeps his hands active, Ellerbe has good success shedding blocks, but he is prone to getting reckless in his play, short-arming often, which lets the big linemen get into his body. At the point of attack, he needs to use his hands better, especially in attempts to protect his legs from double teams. He shows good physical presence with his hands to mirror the tight end, but does not appear to have the natural hands needed to look the ball in and grab away from the body's framework on interceptions. GRADE: 5.5

Tackling Ability: Ellerbe is a strong, physical tackler, but leaves his feet too much, resulting in quite a few missed tackles. He needs to play with better control, as he will try to deliver the knockout blow so much that he will forget about his other responsibilities. He has the hand strength to make arm tackles, but does do a nice job of wrapping up when he has time to get in front of the play to gain position. He is not effective playing in space and must improve his ability to take angles. On the move, he makes physical tackles, as he stays low in his pads, drives hard with his legs and extends his arms to wrap and secure. He is better when working on the run, as he has the motor and quickness to get to the football. He is an effective blow-up type when tackling along the corners, but tends to be a drag-down type who will occasionally overrun the play to avoid blocks when working near the line of scrimmage. GRADE: 6.5

Run Defense: Ellerbe is very good at plugging the holes. He is quick to clog the rush lanes and with his low center of gravity, he has good success taking on the lead blocker. He needs to be more in control with his hands when trying to shed, but he will hit with a thud. His reckless style will see him either get high or leave his feet trying to make the sensational hit, but that has led to a lot of missed tackles in 2008. Against the run, he is best when chasing plays down rather than planting and driving vs. plays in front of him (makes too many arm tackles at the line of scrimmage). He struggles to stack when he fails to generate hand activity and despite his strength, his lack of size could see him lose control and fail to hold ground at the point of attack. Still, he has the ability to flow to the ball and make the cut-off on the corner. He certainly has the speed to reach the outside and that is another reason he's likely to be a better producer on the weak side than in the middle. GRADE: 6.7

Pass Defense: Ellerbe is very good at dropping back in pass coverage, as he has the nimble feet to come out cleanly from his breaks. He is not the type that will get fooled out of his backpedal too early by a receiver trying to sell and con on the route. Unlike most linebackers, he appears better in the zone or in deep coverage, as he tends to leave too much cushion, which lets tight ends and backs have good success catching the ball underneath. He has the foot speed to ride on the hip of the receiver in the second level, but you would like to see him step up to the line and use his hands to jam or reroute, as he does leave too much cushion. GRADE: 6.5

Zone Defense: Ellerbe is like a safety in zone coverage. He drops back quickly and is very smooth in his turning motion. He shows good intent tracking the ball in flight, but does lack natural hands to make the interception. When in the open field, he does a great job of seeing the ball and reacting to it. He is effective handling the switch-off, and his instincts make him appear get a good jump on the ball. GRADE: 6.4

Pass Rush and Blitz: Ellerbe has the speed to impact the backfield coming off the edge, but will get lost and lose sight of the quarterback, as he struggles to shed and leaves his body too exposed for reach blocks. He is more effective as a bull rusher, taking the shorter route to the passer by racing through the "A & B" gaps. He has the closing speed to take a bead on the quarterback better when operating inside than when coming off the corners. He seems to generate more power behind his hits when he gets a free lane coming off the edge. He has a good initial burst and the ability to adjust on the move. When he sets sights on the quarterback, he has the power to punish. GRADE: 6.4

Compares To: BART SCOTT, New York Jets -- Scott is a little bigger and more patient, but both are impact tacklers who do quite an effective job in stuffing the inside running game. Ellerbe has the same ability of Scott when it comes to defending vs. the pass, as he gets good depth in his drops. He shows better production when playing on the move. That, combined with his speed, means a move to weak-side linebacker could be beneficial to his pro aspirations. Inside the box, when he leaves his chest too exposed it lets the blockers stand him up and wash him out. When given a lane, he is quick to slip blocks and create havoc in the backfield. If a team gets the 2007 version of his bull in a china shop approach, rather than the tentative one who struggled with knee problems in 2008, they will get good value early in the second day of the draft.

OVERALL GRADE: 6.42

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Ellerbe started 20 of 43 games at Georgia; 16 at middle linebacker, seven at weak-side outside linebacker and one at strong-side outside linebacker … Recorded 148 tackles (95 solos) with 8.5 sacks for minus 57 yards, 21 stops for losses of 89 yards and 28 QB pressures … Recovered two fumbles, caused another and had three interceptions.

Ellerbe started nine of the 10 games he played in at middle linebacker, coming off the bench vs. Florida … Suffered a left knee sprain, missing the second half vs. Alabama and the next three contests vs. Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State … Finished with 33 tackles (17 solos), including two sacks for minus 12 yards, six stops for losses totaling 22 yards and six quarterback pressures … Also had the third interception for his career … Part of a unit that allowed 312.0 yards per game in total offense, including 122.31 yards each contest by the opposition's ground attack.

Georgia Southern … Ellerbe opened the 2008 season with five tackles (3 solos) and an end-zone interception that thwarted a Georgia Southern scoring threat in the Bulldogs' 45-21 victory over their intrastate foes … Ellerbe left the game midway through the third quarter due to cramps and did not return … At the 8:15 mark in the first quarter, Ellerbe tackled GSU's Darell Norman after the tailback gained 4 yards to the UGA 47-yard line and, later in the drive, dragged down wide receiver Tim Camp, who picked up 18 yards to the Georgia 16-yard line on a pass reception from quarterback Antonio Henton … Later in the first quarter, on a GSU drive that started at the Bulldogs' 35-yard line, Ellerbe tackled Darell Norman after a 3-yard rush and first down on a 3rd-&-1 play, stopped Antonio Henton for no gain on a rushing attempt from the Georgia 1-yard line, and, two plays later, on 3rd-&-goal from the UGA 10-yard line, intercepted Henton in the end zone to prevent the Eagles from scoring. Following Ellerbe's interception, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kris Durham to increase the Bull-dogs' lead to 17-0 … With 4:51 remaining in the second quarter, on 3rd-&-6 from the GSU 22-yard line, Eagle quarterback Antonio Henton completed a 3-yard pass to Darell Norman, who was tackled by Ellerbe at the 25-yard line, forcing Georgia Southern to punt … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#69-Trey Dunmon (6:03-300) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#29-Darell Norman (5:10-185)-12 carries for 60 yards, two catches for -1 yard.

Central Michigan … The Bulldogs' starting middle linebacker contributed one solo tackle in Georgia's 56-17 win over MAC opponent Central Michigan … At the 5:22 mark in the second quarter, Ellerbe registered his sole tackle of the game, stopping CMU's Antonio Brown after a 22-yard kickoff return to the Chippewas' 22-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#63-Colin Miller (6:03-287) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#28-Ontario Sneed (5:11-198)-Four carries for 7 yards, three receptions for 29 yards, 1 kickoff return for 18 yards.

South Carolina … The Georgia defense limited South Carolina to just 18 rushing yards in the Bulldogs' 14-7 victory over the Gamecocks, with Ellerbe making three tackles (2 solos) to the win … On the Gamecocks' opening drive of the game, quarterback Chris Smelley completed a pass to wide receiver Dion LeCorn, who was dropped for a 4-yard loss by Ellerbe at the USC 31-yard line … At the 11:13 mark in the third quarter, Ellerbe wrapped up USC's Mike Davis after the tailback picked up 8 yards to the Gamecocks' 38-yard line … Later in the third quarter, on 2nd-&-1 from the UGA 49-yard line, Davis was able to rush for 1 yard and a first down before being tackled by Ellerbe … With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Chris Smelley threw incomplete to tight end Jared Cook, but a pass-interference penalty by Ellerbe gave the Gamecocks 16 yards and a first down to the UGA 17-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#70-Garrett Anderson (6:04-307) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#25-Mike Davis (5:09-214)-12 carries for 22 yards, four catches for 15 yards.

Arizona State … Ellerbe totaled three tackles (2 solos) to the Bulldog defense, which held the Sun Devil offense to just 4 rushing yards in the Bulldogs' 27-10 win … On ASU's opening drive of the game, Ellerbe stopped tailback Dimitri Nance for no gain at the Sun Devils' 15-yard line and, later in the drive, on 3rd-&-12 from the Arizona State 37-yard line, tackled Rudy Carpenter after the quarterback rushed for 9 yards, forcing ASU to punt … Midway through the second quarter, Ellerbe tackled Dimitri Nance after the running back picked up 3 yards to the ASU 32-yard line, but an offside penalty by Kade Weston nullified the play … At the start of the second half, Ellerbe limited Nance to 4 yards on a rushing attempt from for the ASU 29-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#56-Thomas Altieri (6:02-300) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#31-Dimitri Nance (5:10-220)-10 carries for 12 yards, four catches for 22 yards.

Alabama … The Georgia senior middle linebacker left the game early in the first quarter with a knee injury … He did not return to action and registered no statistics in the contest … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#59-Antoine Caldwell (6:03-305) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#38-Glen Coffee (6:01-198)-23 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns, one catch for 6 yards.

Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Louisiana State … Ellerbe missed these three games due to a knee injury that he suffered in the first quarter of the Alabama game.

Florida … During his first game back after sitting out the previous three with a knee injury, Ellerbe posted one solo tackle, a 6-yard sack of Gator quarterback Tim Tebow, in the Bulldogs' 49-10 loss to their biggest rival, the Florida Gators … "Losing hurts. Even if we lost by one point, it still hurts. We now need to focus on winning out. We have learned that we can't take anything for granted and we have to keep working hard every day. After a game like this, we still have to fight. We will put this one behind us. We can't harp on it," said Ellerbe of the blowout loss … Early in the fourth quarter, on 3rd-&-7 from the Florida 44-yard line, Ellerbe brought Tebow down 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage, forcing the Gators to punt the ball way … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#56-Maurice Pouncey (6:05-312) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#21-Emmanuel Moody (6:00-210)-Seven carries for 71 yards.

Kentucky … A week after its embarrassing loss to Florida, the Georgia Bulldogs nearly made it two forgettable games in a row, but quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for 376 yards, found freshman wide receiver A.J. Green open for the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the game, giving the Dawgs a 42-38 victory … The Georgia defense, which yielded 331 yards to the Wildcats, received five tackles (1 solo) from Ellerbe … Early in the first quarter, Ellerbe limited Kentucky tailback Alfonso Smith to 2 yards on a rushing attempt from the Kentucky 35-yard line … On a drive that started midway through the first quarter, Ellerbe was credited with three tackles, stopping half-back Moncell Allen for no gain at the Wildcat's 40-yard line, allowing fullback John Conner to gain 9 yards and a first down on a 3rd-&-1 play from the Georgia 25-yard line, and limiting Alfonso Smith to 2 yards on 3rd-&-3 from the Georgia 9-yard line … At the 12:11 mark in the second quarter, Ellerbe tackled Kentucky running back Tony Dixon for a 1-yard loss on a rushing attempt from the Georgia 23-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#61-Jorge Gonzalez (6:03-300) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#29-Alfonso Smith (6:01-204)-11 carries for 60 yards, one catch for 7 yards.

Auburn … Ellerbe posted four tackles (3 solos) in the Bulldogs' hard-fought 17-13 win over SEC-rival Auburn … "We were saying in the huddle 'we're good, we're good.' We weren't going to give up. We were going to fight and find a way to win. It feels good to win and be able to celebrate with my teammates, but now we have to focus on another rival team, Georgia Tech," said Ellerbe of the Georgia defense's ability to keep Auburn out of the end zone on its final drive … Early in the first quarter, Ellerbe stopped Auburn tailback Mario Fannin for no gain on a rushing attempt from the Tigers' 33-yard line … Near the end of the first quarter, Tiger running back Ben Tate was limited to 2 yards by Ellerbe on a rush around right end deep in Auburn territory … At the 13:13 mark in the second quarter, Mario Fannin was, once again, stopped for no gain by Ellerbe, this time at the Georgia 24-yard line … With 6:32 remaining before halftime, Ellerbe tackled Ben Tate 1 yard behind the line of scrimmage on a rush around right end from the Auburn 7-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#68-Jason Bosley (6:04-273) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#27-Mario Fannin (5:11-225)-Eight carries for 59 yards and one touchdown, four catches for 48 yards and one touchdown, one kickoff return for 19 yards.

Georgia Tech … After jumping out to a 16-point lead at halftime, the Georgia defense collapsed in the second half, unable to stop the Tech option offense, which racked up 409 rushing yards in the Yellow Jackets' 45-42 victory over the Bulldogs, Tech's first win over Georgia in seven years … The Georgia senior linebacker finished the contest with seven tackles (3 solos) … Midway through the first quarter, Georgia Tech tailback Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 3 yards to the Georgia 43-yard line, where Ellerbe made the stop … With 3:07 remaining before halftime, Ellerbe dragged down Dwyer after the running back gained 9 yards on a rushing attempt from the GT 18-yard line … Early in the third stanza, Dwyer rushed for 5 yards to midfield, where Ellerbe made a solo tackle … At the 5:33 mark in the third quarter, Ellerbe tackled Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt at the UGA 22-yard line for a 4-yard loss … Early in the fourth quarter, Ellerbe limited Nesbitt to a 5-yard gain on a rushing attempt from the Tech 30-yard line and, later in the drive, the Georgia linebacker tackled Roddy Jones after the tailback picked up 7 yards and a first down on 3rd-&-4 from the Yellow Jackets' 36-yard line … With just a few minutes remaining in the contest, Ellerbe tackled Jonathan Dwyer after the tailback rushed for 6 yards to mid-field … Head-to-Head Competiton-OC#77-Dan Voss (6:04-294) … Rush Coverage Assignment -HB#21-Jonathan Dwyer (6:00-228)-20 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns-HB#20-Roddy Jones (5:09-194)-13 carries for 214 yards and two touchdowns, four kickoff returns for 98 yards.

Michigan State (Capital One Bowl) … Despite the presence of Michigan State's talented tailback, Javon Ringer, the Georgia defense limited the Big Ten team to just 31 rushing yards in its 24-12 victory over the Spartans in the Capital One Bowl, with Ringer rushing for 47 yards and one touchdown … The Bulldogs' senior middle linebacker finished the contest with four tackles (1 solo), one sack, and one quarterback pressure … On a drive that started at the 9:18 mark in the first quarter, Ellerbe limited Ringer to 4 yards on a rushing attempt from the MSU 37-yard line and, later in the drive, pressured quarterback Brian Hoyer into throwing incomplete from midfield … Near the end of the first quarter, Ellerbe sacked Hoyer at the MSU 43-yard line for a 6-yard loss … Midway through the second quarter, Javon Ringer gained 2 yards to the Georgia 12-yard line before being stopped by Ellerbe … Early in the third stanza, Ellerbe limited Ringer to 3 yards on a rush from the MSU 20-yard line … Head-to-Head Competition: OC#65-Joel Nitchman (6:03-297) … Rush Coverage Assignment: HB#23-Javon Ringer (5:09-202)-20 carries for 47 yards and one touchdown, three catches for 30 yards.

Consensus All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection … Started eleven games, lining up at middle linebacker vs. Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Western Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Georgia Tech, as he added a start at strong-side outside linebacker vs. Florida and three more on the weak-side vs. Alabama, Mississippi and Hawaii … Led the team with a career-high 93 tackles (63 solos) … Finished second on the squad with 4.5 sacks for minus 27 yards and twelve stops for losses totaling 45 yards, as he also had fifteen quarterback pressures … Recovered two fumbles and caused another while deflecting one pass and coming up with one interception.

Opened the season by sacking QB Bobby Reid for a 10-yard loss, adding seven tackles in the Oklahoma State clash … Followed with seven tackles (6 solos) and a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. South Carolina … Delivered five hits that included a pair of tackles for minus 7 yards vs. Western Carolina … Produced eight tackles (5 solos) vs. Alabama and had another eight hits that included a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Mississippi …

Totaled twelve tackles (3 solos) with 1.5 stops for loss vs. Tennessee and was in on six tackles, along with a 6-yard sack vs. Vanderbilt … Made seven tackles that included an assist on a 2-yard sack of QB Tim Tebow in the Florida clash … Registered eight tackles (6 solos) and a stop for a 2-yard lo0ss vs. Auburn … Sacked QB Andre' Woodson for a 2-yard loss and was in on four hits (3 solos) vs. Kentucky … Added eight solo tackles with a forced fumble and a 7-yard sack vs. Georgia Tech … Finished the year with eight tackles (5 solos) and a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

Sat out the team's first three games vs. Western Kentucky, South Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham due to a suspension … Appeared in ten games as a reserve weak-side outside linebacker, recording seven tackles (4 solos) … Posted a season-high four tackles (3 solos) in the Kentucky clash.

Played in ten games as a reserve weak-side outside linebacker, coming up with fifteen tackles (11 solos), two sacks for minus 18 yards, three stops for losses of 22 yards and four quarterback pressures … Also had a 9-yard interception return.

In his collegiate debut, Ellerbe intercepted a pass for a 9-yard return and posted three solo tackles vs. Boise State … Added a 5-yard sack vs. Arkansas and made two stops in the Florida game … Collected a season-high five tackles (4 solos) vs. Kentucky and added a 13-yard sack vs. Auburn.

Red-shirted as a freshman.

2008: Left the Alabama game (9/27) in the first half with a left knee sprain that would sideline Ellerbe vs. Tennessee (10/11), Vanderbilt (10/18) and Louisiana State (10/25).

2009: Could not complete the agility tests at the NFL Combine due to a left pectoral muscle tear.

Combine: 4.63 in the 40-yard dash … 1.62 10-yard dash … 2.70 20-yard dash … 4.23 20-yard shuttle … 7.00 three-cone drill … 35-inch vertical jump … 9'10" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times … 31 1/8-inch arm length … 9-inch hands.

2006: Ellerbe was suspended for the first three games vs. Western Kentucky, South Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham after he was charged in January for an alcohol-related auto accident. Georgia head coach Mark Richt said at the time of the incident, "Dannell made a serious mistake that is not taken lightly. He will pay a significant price and I'm confident he has learned an important lesson." Richt said Ellerbe will also be subject to internal discipline. He "borrowed" a teammate's care without permission, using another person's driver's license to gain entry into a strip club and later got into an accident with the car and was charged with driving under the influence (charge was later dropped due to a lack of an administered test). He pleaded guilty to underage possession of alcohol while driving and reckless driving.

Attended Richmond County (Hamlet, N.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Ed Emory … Rated the nation's seventh-best outside linebacker by Rivals.com, adding Atlantic East Amazing 80, North Carolina Top 25, TheInsiders.com Atlantic 100 accolades … First-team All-State selection by the Associated Press, adding Super Prep All-Mid-Atlantic and All-Mid Southeastern Conference honors … The MVP of the 2003 Shrine Bowl (NC-SC All-Star Game), he registered nine tackles, three pass breakups and one interception in that contest … As a senior, he recorded 165 tackles and nine sacks, adding 24 tackles and five sacks as a junior … Also lettered in track, attaining a personal best of 6'6" in the high jump.

Housing major … Born 11/29/85 … Resides in Hamlet, North Carolina.