Ellington family reunion in NFL brings former Gamecock, Tiger stars together

Together again … for the first time.

When the Houston Texans were awarded running back Andre Ellington off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals Tuesday, the former Clemson star was united with Bruce Ellington – his cousin.

This summer, the cousins held their fourth annual Ellington Elite Camp at Berkeley High School, where they were stars for the Stags. That was before they became a family divided when they chose their college football destinations.

Bruce Ellington is a former South Carolina Gamecock star in two sports, a point guard in basketball and a football receiver.

He’s is coming off his best game in the NFL, when he had six catches for 63 yards last Sunday against the Cardinals – Andre Ellington’s former team.

The 5-foot-9, 199-pound running back was a healthy scratch Sunday during the Texans’ win over the Cardinals.

The move comes a couple of days after the Texans lost D’Onta Foreman for the rest of the year with a torn Achilles.

This season, Andre Ellington has rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries, and has 33 catches for 297 yards.

After bursting into the NFL, Andre Ellington has struggled to find his way on the field. He rushed for 652 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie and caught 39 passes for 371 yards and one score.

The following season, in 2014, he posted 1,055 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns before he was placed on injured reserve

It has been difficult since, rushing for 289 yards and three touchdowns while making 15 catches for 148 yards in 2015. Last year was even worse as he finished with 96 rushing yards and 85 receiving.

After starting his career with the San Francisco 49ers, Bruce Ellington is finding his groove in his first campaign with the Texans. For the season, he has 25 catches for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Ellington family reunion in NFL brings former Gamecock, Tiger stars together."