Ellington says health no longer an issue, ready for season to begin

Ellington said he made all the runs and cuts during Friday's practice

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Aug 05 23:27:57 GMT-04:00 2011

AUDIO: Ellington after practice audio

CLEMSON – Clemson fans and coaches were both a little excited and a little nervous to see how running back Andre EllingtonAndre Ellington
Running Back
#23 5-10, 190
Moncks Corner, SC
View Full Profile would respond to his first practice situation since off-season surgery on his injured toe.

As it turns out, Ellington felt the same way.

Ellington and the Clemson Tigers returned to the practice fields Friday evening, and the junior out of Berkeley High School showed very little rust, his usual quick burst and most importantly said he didn’t feel any pain following the three-hour workout.

“I am 100 percent again,” Ellington said following the practice. “I made it through. There was a little fear in my heart, but now I am ready for day two. It was a little weird at first, because I haven’t been out there in a while. But I am getting used to it again. I actually pushed myself today.”

Ellington still had a noticeable limp during spring practice, and he said there were times when he wondered if he would ever make it back, but he learned to trust what the doctors were telling him.

“Getting back and all the work is something you have to do on your own,” he said. “They are not going to make you do it. I trusted the people that had me in their hands. I felt like I might not be 100 percent again, but the doctors told me to get it out of my mind and fight through it. I would say I am 100 percent now. I moved really well and made some cuts and I felt really great.”

Junior tight end Dwayne AllenDwayne Allen
Tight End
#83 6-3, 245
Fayetteville, NC
View Full Profile was asked to assess how well his teammate performed, and Allen broke into a big smile.

"Oh wow. He's back. He's back. He's back,” Allen said. "That guy has some cutback ability; it's something defenses have to plan for. When he went down last year, Jamie HarperJamie Harper
Running Back
#8 6-0, 235
Jacksonville, FL
View Full Profile did a great job, but Andre is just a different beast."

Ellington said he weighed in at 194 pounds during Thursday’s weigh-in, and that the injury allowed him to bulk up his upper body.

“That [his increased bulk] came from being injured,” he said. “I couldn’t stop working out, and I couldn’t really work on my legs but I still did my upper body. I would say I am more toned than anything. It was just bulking up, because putting on just a pound or two helps.”

With the first day in the books, Ellington said he has to concentrate on getting better with each practice.

“It felt great to be out there, but tonight or tomorrow morning I will get back in there and look at the film,” he said. “I am sure there are some things I can get better at. I got that first day under my belt, and it felt good, but now I have to get better. I couldn’t wait for this day to come, and now it’s over.”

New offensive coordinator Chad Morris has an offense that would seem to fit Ellington perfectly, and he said he can't wait to see what kind of numbers he can put up.

“It’s slicing and dicing,” he said. “It’s so fast. You can look one way and miss the guy. You have to pay attention to detail. It is a great offense to put up great numbers in. “