| Overall UK Wins: 0 | Overall UK Losses: 1 | Win % 0 |
Date of Birth: June 23, 1920
Date of Death: July 31, 1974
Hometown: Akron, OH
Alma Mater: Akron
For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.
| Date | Matchup | W/L | Score | UK Fouls | Opp Fouls | UK FTA | Opp FTA | UK DQ | Opp DQ | Technicals | Officiating Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20/1957 | West Virginia at Kentucky | L | 70 - 77 | 14 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 0 | 0 | - | James Enright and George Ellis |
Obituary - Akron (OH) Beacon Journal (August 1, 1974)
Pro Grid Official George Ellis Dies
George Ellis, sporting goods store owner and longtime college and pro sports official, died in Cleveland Clinic Wednesday night following a long illness. He was 53.
Ellis operated the George Ellis Sports Centers at 2687 W. Market St., Fairlawn, and 1726 Portage Tr., Cuyahoga Falls. He lived at 1123 S. Hamertown Rd., Copley Twp.
Ellis had officiated in the National Football League since 1967 though he missed the last two seasons, 1972 with a broken leg suffered in preseason and 1973 while combating kidney problems.
Many called him one of the NFL's best officials, and a highlight of his career was working the 1971 Super Bowl game between Dallas and Baltimore.
He first became active in officiating on the high school level and moved on to the Ohio Conference, Mid-American Conference and the Big Ten before his professional duties.
Milo Lukity, a basketball and football official in the Akron City Series and Ohio Conference, worked with Ellis many years and called him one of the best.
"George recognized that 90 percent of good officiating is judgment," Lukity said. "He was one of the first to employ the 'no harm, no foul' rule in basketball. George was the kind of official who was always ahead of his time."
Prior to joining the NFL, Ellis worked three seasons in the old American Football League and two in the Continental League.
Ellis was graduated from East High School where he played basketball. He then attended the University of Akron, but left school to become a machinist.
His first year in the NFL ended in frustration when he and the other five members of his officiating crew were suspended by Commissioner Pete Rozelle with one week remaining in the season for "losing" an important down in a Los Angeles-Chicago game.
The Rams were denied a fourth down at their own 47-yard line with five seconds remaining and lost 17-16 to Chicago, ending the Rams' hopes of a Coastal Division title.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
