ATLANTA — Once upon a time, a young Keaton Ellis would see Beaver Stadium and dream. Ellis’ childhood in Happy Valley always centered on that dream, a visual waypoint as you travel around State College. One day, maybe he would call Beaver Stadium home. Maybe one day he would play on its field.
And now he has. A lot, in fact. A five-year career at Penn State has seen Ellis play in 55 games, make 86 tackles, catch two interceptions, force four fumbles and defend 14 passes. Now, looking down the barrel of one final game in the blue and white, it’s a wild place to be. The dream was realized. Now it’s time to dream about something else.
“I’m excited about these next couple of months [to] really hone in on my craft and not just the physical but mental as well,” Ellis said on Thursday of the upcoming NFL Draft process. “So haven’t really decided [where he will workout] yet. I’m bouncing between Florida or just staying in State College. Financially, it’s a good option [to stay in State College] and I trust those guys too. So haven’t made a decision yet.”
It would be fitting if Ellis worked toward his NFL dream next to the stadium he used to dream about, stepping from one goal to the next while feeling a sense of pride already knowing how much you’ve done. Then again, maybe it’s good to get away from home, away from knowing the thing you’ve always worked for just came and went. What do you do when your longest dream has been accomplished?
“I’ve kind of faced that earlier on,” Ellis said of being done at Penn State. “And realized, like, I did it, I’m here, let’s be here and not thinking about anything bigger than that. But, you know, for me, it’s always bittersweet. When your college career [moves along] it’s never gonna going to be like this locker room or a family like this ever again. And I would even say Beaver Stadium just in itself is just special. And you’re not going to get that again. So obviously we can come back for games and whatnot, but to be on the grass and have the cleats in the ground, this is bittersweet. You’re proud that of what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve done and experiences you had but obviously it’s hard to let see that go.”
Ellis also faces the possibility of never playing football again. It seems unlikely that he won’t get picked up in some capacity by the time the draft process is all said and done, but beyond that, nothing is certain. There’s something to embrace in this as well, a reality that football — the thing you’ve spent your life doing — might be done. You might never play football again; your next tackle could be your last. There’s nothing that can stop that day from coming and the end of a college career is the last stop for many.
But what can you do? That’s life. Sometimes the fun parts end. Time to find out what’s next.
“I think that’s been a reality that you know — coach does a good job of every so often to be like ‘life after football’ — because it always comes and it’s different for everybody,” Ellis said. “For a lot of guys there’s a lot of uncertainty. You don’t really know [if they’ll keep playing football]. Others you you may have an idea, but it’s tough, you know? And you’ve got to have a maturity about it. And understanding about it.”
All the reflecting and melancholy aside, Ellis still has one more game to play. And for Penn State, the Nittany Lions have a chance to put one of the best defenses in college football on the field one more time in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Defensive end Chop Robinson skipping the game and the potential for some modified work loads could have Penn State looking slightly different on Saturday, but this is still the last hurrah for a group that will go down as one of the best the program has fielded.
And that’s fun, even if the rest of it can be a little sad.
“We see it as opportunity for us to play together again,” Ellis said. “We don’t take that for granted. Every year the team looks different. The defense looks different. And so, to go through a season with your group of guys it means a lot. And you want to end it with them. I think we do see it as kind of like a last ride. Let’s finish on a high note.”
A high note. Can’t end a dream better than that.
