Different people were pulling Andre Ellington this way and that as he tried to decide whether to skip his senior season at Clemson.
Ultimately, the gravitational pull of unfinished business kept Ellington with the Tigers.
“There are still some things I need to work on,” he said. “That’s a big part of why I came back.”
For the longest time, it seemed an early exit was likely for Ellington. He made an impressive splash in 2009 as a redshirt freshman, popping off 7.2 yards per carry. He had some moments in 2010, and the NFL folks began to take interest in his blend of speed and cutting ability.
But a combination of issues — most notably a lengthy bout with injuries — made staying seem like the right decision.
“When I’m fully ready to go, 100 percent, it’s a different guy down on the field,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to fight through some pain. I kind of did that the whole season last year, and I still ended up having a pretty good season.”
The injury bug has taken a big bite out of Ellington’s spirits the past two seasons. In 2010, he suffered a toe injury in the eighth game and missed all but three snaps the rest of the way, as the Tigers lost four of their final six games to finish 6-7.
Last year, after spending the offseason rehabbing following toe surgery, Ellington managed to fight through a quad injury suffered early in the season. But an ankle injury in the eighth game against North Carolina left him dinged as the Tigers unraveled after an 8-0 start.
He was going strong against West Virginia in the Orange Bowl when a fumble at the goal line in the second quarter completely swung momentum in the Mountaineers’ favor. The fumble was taken 99 yards the other way to put the Tigers down 28-17, and West Virginia went on to administer a 70-33 shellacking.
Ellington said he doesn’t think about the fumble much, and he adds that he’d never witnessed such a freakish play.
In addition to proving he can go through a season without succumbing to injuries, Ellington also wants to show the NFL folks that he can catch. He had 22 receptions last year.
“A lot of teams use backs in the passing game in the NFL,” he said. “You have to be able to catch the ball.”