Eugene Ellenson (March 24, 1921 – March 17, 1995) was an American college and professional football player, college football coach, and athletic administrator. Ellenson was born in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, grew up in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, and attended the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

, where he was a starting Tackle on the Bulldog's 1942 national championship football team. He served in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was highly decorated for his actions during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

. Upon returning from the war, Ellenson played for the

Miami Seahawks The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the league's inaugural season, 1946, before the team was relocated to Baltimore. They are notable ...

, a professional football team that folded after one season. He began his coaching career in 1947 as an assistant at his alma mater,

Miami Senior High School Miami Senior High School, also known as Miami High School, is a public high school located at 2450 SW 1st Street in Miami, Florida, and operated by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Founded in 1903, it is one of the oldest high school in Miami ...

. After three years in the high school ranks, he became an assistant coach at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

(UF) head coach

Ray Graves Samuel Ray Graves (December 31, 1918 – April 10, 2015) was an American college and professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting ...

hired Ellenson as a defensive assistant in 1960, and promoted him to be the Gators' defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in 1964. When Graves left coaching to become UF's full-time

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches an ...

following the 1969 season, Ellenson became the associate AD in charge of Gator Boosters, the fundraising arm of the

University of Florida Athletic Association The University Athletic Association, Inc. (UAA) is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The UAA is run by a board o ...

. Ellenson remained in that position until his retirement in 1987. Ellenson was known for his fiery and inspirational pep talks. Even after his retirement, he was asked to speak to UF's sports teams before big games, particularly by football coach Steve Spurrier, who had played at Florida when Ellenson was an assistant coach. Spurrier established the "Gene Ellenson Award" in 1991, which is given to the team's "most inspirational" player.

Early years

Ellenson was born in

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa Cou ...

in 1921. He attended

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, where he was standout high school football player for the Miami Stingarees.

College career

Ellenson received an athletic scholarship to attend the

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

, where he played for coach

Wally Butts James Wallace Butts Jr. (February 7, 1905 – December 17, 1973) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of Georgia from 1939 to 1960, compiling a record of 140– ...

Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Div ...

team from

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

.
2011 Georgia Football Media Guide
'', University of Georgia Athletic Department, Athens, Georgia, p. 151 (2011). Retrieved October 31, 2011. He was a starting senior lineman on the 1942 Bulldogs team that finished 11–1 and defeated the

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...

in the Rose Bowl, thus claiming a share of the 1942 national championship. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1943.

Military service

After graduation, Ellenson was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in the European Theater during

. During the

in December 1944, he was an infantry lieutenant who commanded the defense of a hill against repeated assaults by elements of the German army. Having taken and held the hill until relieved, he was one of only four survivors of his command. Ellenson rose to the rank of captain, and was awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, the Silver Star, and the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

for his actions and service.Robbie Andreu,
Ex-UF coach Ellenson dead at 74
" ''The Gainesville Sun'', Sports Weekend, p. 3 (March 18, 1995). Retrieved November 1, 2011.

Professional career

Following his discharge from the U.S. Army, Ellenson played professionally for the

of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for a single season in 1946.Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players
Gene Ellenson
Retrieved October 31, 2011. He played 13 games for the Seahawks at right tackle, starting eleven of them.

Coaching career

Ellenson was the line coach for the Miami Senior High School Stingarees football team from 1947 to 1949.Clint Dare,
Ex-Miami Aide Ellenson First Graves Signee
" ''St. Petersburg Times'', p. 1-C (January 13, 1960). Retrieved November 1, 2011. He then became an assistant for the Miami Hurricanes football team at the

, serving under head coach

Andy Gustafson Andrew Gustafson (April 3, 1903 – January 7, 1979) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (VPI ...

from 1950 to 1958. As a member of the Hurricanes coaching staff, he was principally responsible for coaching the defensive line.Associated Press,
Graves Signs Gene Ellenson As An Assistant Coach On Florida Staff
" ''Ocala Star-Banner'', p. 13 (January 13, 1960). Retrieved November 1, 2011. After the 1958 season, he decided to quit coaching and sought a new career in real estate. When

was hired to be the new head coach of the

Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division o ...

team at the

in January 1960, Ellenson was the first assistant that Graves hired. He and Graves maintained a close working relationship during Graves' ten-year stint as the Gators' head coach, and following his third year on the Florida coaching staff, Graves promoted him to defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Ellenson was a key contributor to the Gators' first three nine-win seasons in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

, 1966 and

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

. Graves privately contemplated his retirement from coaching before and during the 1969 season, and rumors circulated that he would continue to serve as the University of Florida's

while Ellenson would be promoted to head coach. Graves did indeed resign as coach after the season ended in a Gator Bowl win over

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, but university president Stephen C. O'Connell passed over Ellenson and chose Tennessee coach and Florida alumnus

Doug Dickey Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, wher ...

to become the Gators' new football coach, much to the chagrin of the Florida football team. Afterward, Ellenson left coaching altogether and became an associate athletic director under Graves and the executive director of Gators Boosters, Inc., the fund-raising arm of the

University Athletic Association The University Athletic Association (UAA) is an American athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division III. Member schools are highly selective universities located in Georgia, Illinois, M ...

Pep talks

Ellenson was hugely popular among the Gators players, and served as the team's chief motivational speaker during the 1960s and beyond. After the Gators struggled to a 1–2 record to begin the 1962 season, Ellenson wrote a letter to each member of the team detailing his War World II experiences and encouraging them to play harder: "You'll be a better man for it, and the next adversity won't be so tough." Players and coaches credit "The Letter" for inspiring the team to beat several tough opponents and end the season with a bowl victory. Ellenson's pep talk before the Gators' 1963 game against

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

inspired Gators lineman Jack Katz to smash his helmet through a locker room blackboard, and inspired the team to upset the Crimson Tide 10–6, handing Alabama coach Bear Bryant his first of only two career losses in Tuscaloosa. When Buster Bishop, the coach of the

Florida Gators men's golf The Florida Gators men's golf team represents the University of Florida in the sport of golf. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They play their home ...

team, fell ill immediately before the 1968 NCAA national tournament, Ellenson accompanied the golfers to the tournament in

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...

in his place. He delivered a memorable pep talk to the team using his favorite "positive molecules" metaphor, and the Gators upset the top-ranked Houston Cougars to win the NCAA tournament—the first national championship, in any sport, won by University of Florida athletes.University of Florida Foundation, Endowed Scholarship & Fellowships
Gene Ellenson Memorial Endowment
Retrieved November 4, 2011. Even after he left the coaching profession in 1970, Ellenson was still called upon to deliver motivational pregame speeches. In

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, then-Gators coach

Galen Hall Galen Samuel Hall (born August 14, 1940) is a retired American college and professional football coach and player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football. Hall was previously t ...

invited Ellenson to give a pregame talk before the 3–4 Gators faced the 7–0 and 5th-ranked

Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...

. Florida won 18–17 in what is still considered one of the greatest games in

Florida Field Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),Steve Spurrier had been the Gators' award-winning quarterback while Ellenson was an assistant coach in the 1960s. When Spurrier was the head coach at

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

in the late 1980s, he twice had Ellenson give pep talks to his team before traditional rivalry games. Duke won on both occasions. When Spurrier returned to his alma mater in 1990 to become the Gators' head coach, he again invited Ellenson to deliver inspirational talks before big games. Spurrier Plays His Hand – And It Delivers Spades
" ''Orlando Sentinel'' (October 11, 1992). Retrieved November 5, 2011. The Gators went 4–0 in those contests.

Death and legacy

Ellenson was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as an "Honorary Letterwinner" in 1989.Jack Hairston,
Chandler, Ellenson worthy additions to UF Hall of Fame
" ''The Gainesville Sun'', pp. 1C & 2C (April 14, 1989). Retrieved November 2, 2011.F Club, Hall of Fame
Honorary Letter Winners
Retrieved December 19, 2014. In 1991, coach Steve Spurrier established the Gene Ellenson Award, which is given annually to the "most inspirational player" on Florida's football team. Ellenson died of renal and respiratory failure at North Florida Regional Hospital in Gainesville on March 17, 1995, after a long illness. He was survived by his wife Jeanne, and their son and daughter. Florida alumnus and benefactor Alfred McKethan endowed a scholarship in Ellenson's name following his death.

References

Bibliography

* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). . * Ellenson, Gene, ''Coaching Linebackers and the Perimeter Defense'', Parker Publishing Company, Inc. (1972). . * Golenbock, Peter, ''Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory'', Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). . * McEwen, Tom, ''The Gators: A Story of Florida Football'', The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). . {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellenson, Gene 1921 births 1995 deaths American football tackles United States Army personnel of World War II Florida Gators football coaches Georgia Bulldogs football players High school football coaches in Florida Miami Hurricanes football coaches Miami Seahawks players People from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Players of American football from Wisconsin Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army officers Military personnel from Wisconsin