Just over a year ago Keaton Ellis was leaning up against the wall somewhere deep inside the newly opened State College Area High School surrounded by a group of no more than five reporters.
In a sense it was one of his final few days of being normal. At the time Ellis was a local story of interest to only those in town: the kid who could run like the wind, tackle like a truck and make your best player look normal.
But in the coming weeks his life would change. He would enroll at Penn State, becoming just another player on a long list of guys who were once in his shoes. He was going to have to earn his keep, and fight for a spot on the field.
Fast forward and Ellis has found a way, now in the rotation at corner for a Nittany Lion defense that is among the best in the nation. He has forced three fumbles, a figure bettered by only 12 players across the nation, while adding 15 tackles to his resume as Penn State heads into the Cotton Bowl.
Now the reporters look for Ellis, in his first interview session since arriving at Penn State, a steady flow of microphones made their way past the State College product. He is no longer just a local story; he’s a Penn State story, an up-and-coming freshman on a talented defense.
“It was a big change for me,” Ellis said earlier this week. “I feel like it was a positive. I feel like this whole year has been great for me. I had a lot of fun, I’m enjoying myself and I’m excited for the future.
“When you’re in high school you’re the guy,” Ellis added. “When you come to Penn State, everyone is the guy. Everybody’s been the best player. It just helped me to get better every day. When you’re not the best player going against the best player it’s not making you better each and every day.”
There have been good moments: Ellis’ three forced fumbles are something he takes pride in, his ball skill proof of his offensive pedigree.
But with the good comes the bad, or at least the moments you wish you missed. Against Minnesota a perfect pass against just barely beat Ellis who was tightly covering his man. He grabbed hold but couldn’t quite make the tackle and suddenly the Gophers’ lead had grown by six points. It was a beautiful pass and a great catch, but Ellis found himself at the center of a critical play in a key moment. There may not have been much more he could have done, but the scoreboard doesn’t care.
“Plays like that, you’ve gotta look at it, they made a great play and it was a great throw,” Ellis said with a smile. “It was just a learning point. I don’t try to get to emotionally invested in plays like that.”
Moving forward Ellis will look to grow from his first season. He wants to get bigger and stronger, a little faster and a bit better at all the details. But on the whole he made a good first impression on a unit full of All-Big Ten talent. He belongs, if there was any doubt.
All told Keaton Ellis’ story of 2019 is one of a dream coming true. For a kid growing up in State College, playing at Beaver Stadium was a dream of a lifetime, and now he does it on a regular basis. Keaton Ellis is a Penn State football player, something he might have to say more than a few times to finally believe it.
And there’s nothing like the first time you step on the field, a dream finally realized.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking for me,” Ellis said with a laugh. “It had been a dream of mine, literally a dream to play in that stadium but I was able to settle down and get comfortable.”
By the looks of it, he will have plenty of opportunities to live that dream.
