“After leaving the NFL... I was looking for something that fell in line with my passion for helping others," said former Razorback linebacker Brooks Ellis.
When a concussion in 2018 prevented him from playing football any further for the Patriots, Ellis left the NFL and spent years in medical sales and Georgetown’s graduate program for integrative medicine, before prepping for an internship toward medical school at UAMS. During this time, a previous 7th-grade teacher, Coach Hays, encouraged him to coach.
When his internship fell through in early 2023, Brooks decided to try Hays’ idea. Since then, he has organized training sessions and camps for young, aspiring football athletes. There, he has found a passion in being able to help players learn from his own experiences and lessons.
Lesson One: Pursue Excellence. Brooks Ellis has been able to equip athletes because of his own emphasis on hard work. At Fayetteville High, Ellis won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and two state championships. After being offered by several power-5 colleges to play, he chose to play where his grandfather David Lashley had played: the University of Arkansas. There, Ellis played a crucial role as a Hog.
Ellis says he got to his position by continually working hard, even when transfers and other players were a threat to take his spot as a starter. There, he had 31 straight starts, totaled 290 tackles, four interceptions (returning one 47 yards for a touchdown), and recorded double-digit tackles seven times.
Now, he teaches young athletes to have this same sense of drive. Whether it is in his recovery, training, or film analysis sessions, Ellis stresses the importance of focus and effort in pursuing excellence.
He said, “If you want to get better as a player, you have to spend time developing skills. Otherwise, you'll rely on talent... [practice] can be a better way for kids to get more reps on the field and build their confidence.”
Lesson Two: Learn from Failure. At Brooks Ellis Coaching, football is seen as a training ground for life. Ellis said one of his most important lessons from football is persevering through adversity.
At a practice session the previous Tuesday, Ellis said he had a junior high kid lose several one-on-one drills. Ellis said, “Gah, he was so disappointed. They can get down and unmotivated and say ‘I’m terrible, I hate this.’ But, I told him... ‘It is good you lost, because you’re learning how to battle through that emotionally and prepare for the future...'”
Ellis further explained that failure is a part of being an athlete, but you can work to improve the next time.
“I’m not ridiculing and reproaching them for doing things as hard as you can and focusing, yet missing a ball," he said.
Ellis said that he hopes this kind of encouragement will teach them how to persevere and encourage others in times of adversity.
Last Lesson: Know Where Your Value Lies.
Ellis said that at the end of his career, he was broken emotionally and spiritually from stress and a disconnection from the Lord. After years of discipleship, Coach Ellis makes sure to teach them about where their value as a person lies: God.
Ellis said he had one more lesson for the kid who had messed up in all the drills: “'Performance does not equate to who you are'... God loves us no matter what. Time and time again, he’s always faithful.'”
He said, “That’s what you have to do as a coach. No matter how many times they fail, you’re still there encouraging them.”
"No matter how many times they fail, you’re still there encouraging them.”