Q&A: 8th Grade Football Star Tino Ellis

At only 14 years of age, football prodigy and Reisterstown native Tino Ellis has already amassed a laundry list of accolades. His invitation to the 2012 Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, will give Ellis the chance to showcase his talents at wide receiver and running back among some of the top 8th graders in the entire country.

However, for all the success he’s enjoyed at a young age, Ellis is remarkably humble and acknowledges there is plenty of room for him to grow as an athlete and as a student.

A former , Ellis attended and then left after a year to be homeschooled. Entertaining both in and out of state offers, for high school, he’s narrowed down his choices to DeMatha Catholic High, Calvert Hall and hometown .

Wherever he goes, that school, Ellis said, will be getting a student-athlete eager to prove his worth on the field and in the classroom.

Patch: Try your best to put this into words. Why do you love to play football?

Ellis: It’s just a great sport and if you use it well it can take you far in life. There are so many achievements that you can have and milestones that you can have just by playing football.

What do you think sets you apart as a skill player, whether at receiver or at running back?

I think it’s my speed and my quickness. Some other running backs don’t have the quickness or speed that I have.

Talk a little about your overall strength. When did you start working out and why is that so important as an athlete?

Since I was eight. It’s very important because without strength, defenders can take you down easily or tackle you. There are a lot of things where you need strength in the game of football.

What are some of the parts of your game that you’re always looking to improve?

Everything. I think I need to improve in everything. There’s always room to get better.

What are you looking forward to most about starting high school next year?

Just the Friday night light games, the letterman jackets. Just the excitement of playing in high school.

What do you think some of the biggest challenges—football or school-related—are going to be?

I’m homeschooled so I have more time to play football and do my schoolwork together. But, it’s going to be a long drive to go to Dematha. It’s far away from Reisterstown so it’s going to be time consuming. I’m going to have to manage my time better than what I’m doing now.

You’ve got a cousin who played college football and another two cousins in playing for Franklin, so when all the Ellis boys get together is there a lot of football talk?

There’s a lot of football talk and there’s a lot of competition. Everyone thinks they’re better than the other one. We all train together.

How helpful is it that you have three older role models to talk to if you want or have any questions?

It is helpful because they give me tips about high school and how everything goes—what you need to do and what you don’t need to do.

Which position do you prefer playing, receiver or running back and why?

Receiver. It’s more open space than running through the line of scrimmage. It’s more open, you’ve got to get past two defenders instead of going through linebackers and defensive ends and defensive tackles.

How important is it for you to establish yourself in high school and, a few years down the road, cement yourself as someone who can go to college to play sports?

It’s very important. You always want a free education by getting an athletic scholarship so you want to work hard early and get it now.

What are you interested in school-wise?

Chemistry. I like to learn about the elements and how they’re useful. How you can use them and what they’re used for.

I can tell that you love to play football but understand that it’s also necessary to have something to fall back on. Why is that so essential?

It’s very important because football can be taken away from you any time you step on the field. You can twist an ankle or just be injured and be out for weeks or the whole year. So, it’s very important.  

Quick Hits

Full name: Constantine Palmer Ellis

Age: 14

Height: 6’

Weight: 170

Favorite Athlete(s): Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings), DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles), Joe Haden (Cleveland Browns)

Favorite Meal: Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread

Hidden Talent: Wrestling and Drawing

Favorite Actor: Denzel Washington

Favorite Movie: Taken

Biggest Pet Peeve: People bragging about themselves or talking a lot

Famous Person You Can’t Stand: Chris Brown