Ellis will report on time to training camp with split jail sentence

[ret2ski]

Jets' Kenrick Ellis will report on time to training camp with split jail sentence

Published: Friday, June 15, 2012

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger


Kenrick Ellis will serve a 45-day jail term for misdemeanor assault and battery.

Jets defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis will be able to report on time to training camp in Cortland, N.Y., after the Hampton Circuit Court agreed to split his jail sentence for misdemeanor assault and battery.

Ellis is scheduled to report to the Hampton City Jail in Virginia at 6 p.m. today, and he will be in custody until July 9, a court clerk confirmed. He will serve the remainder of his term, a total of 45 days on good behavior, beginning March 1, 2013.

Players are due to report to training camp July 26, so if Ellis had served his sentence consecutively, he would have missed the first few days of Jets training camp.

The court also approved Ellis being granted a work release while in jail, but the final decision is up to the sheriff, the clerk said. The New York Post first reported the changes to Ellis' sentence.

Ellis entered an "Alford" plea last month for misdemeanor assault and battery, stemming from a 2010 incident at Hampton University. He was sentenced to 179 days in jail, with 89 days suspended, and is set to serve half of the remaining days per Virginia law.

Coach Rex Ryan said he spoke with Ellis at the end of this week's mini-camp, and he believes the second-year player is mentally tough enough to handle his jail term.

"He’s a strong man," Ryan said. "And I know one thing, he's looking forward to this season. He put so much into this offseason."