LB Christian Elliss taking advantage of special opportunity with Patriots

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Christian Elliss. 

At the beginning of December, Elliss was based out of Philadelphia, playing with a top Super Bowl contender. However, the Eagles opted to waive him on Dec. 6 after they signed Shaq Leonard. 

But, there were plenty of teams lined up to claim the coveted linebacker. 

"It was a huge shock," Elliss told A to Z Sports. "Wasn't expecting it, but God has a plan. Thankfully, he showed that six teams wanted to get me and saw the value in me and saw what I could do on the field."

The Patriots claimed Elliss, getting priority over the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins. 

And he is taking advantage of this special opportunity in New England despite the team's challenges this season. 

"Luckily, I get to come learn from one of the greatest defensive minds of all time and just help attribute to whatever I can to the team. So I've been blessed," he said. "From what I've gathered, we work hard out here. We have fun. The guys smile. And then we get right. Belichick obviously knows what he's doing. Joe Judge knows what he's doing. So it's been good."

However, going from the Eagles to the Patriots is bound to be a challenge. Especially since one team has already been eliminated from playoffs while the other is looking to claim the top spot in the NFC. 

But Elliss isn't focusing on that. 

"You got to take it week to week, no matter where you're at as a team, with your record. It don't matter because at the end of the day, you got to produce on the field and then it carries over to next week or next season in this case," he said. "So we've got to build up these last few weeks and get going in the offseason."

However, there is one minor change he has noticed despite coming from Philadelphia. 

"It's a little bit colder up here," Elliss said with a laugh. "Just a tad, just a tad bit."

Elliss' football journey has been one of many twists and turns, but it has shaped him into the player he is today. 

He went to high school in Colorado and didn't receive many Division I offers. Because of that, he opted to go to the University of Idaho. And his coach was someone he was very familiar with. 

"My dad coached me all four years there," Elliss explained. "I played with my older brother who now plays for the Falcons and my younger brother who, he's still with the Eagles." 

Out of college, he went undrafted in 2021, but the Minnesota Vikings signed him as an undrafted free agent. He was released towards the end of August and signed with the Eagles practice squad. However, that was short-lived and in November, he was onto his next team, signing with the San Francisco 49ers for just a week. 

Philadelphia came calling once again and he returned to the Eagles for a second stint to finish the 2021 season. He has remained there since November of his rookie year. 

Across his three years with the Eagles, Elliss has 35 total tackles. This year has been his best with 21 total tackles across 12 games played. And the linebacker also helps out on special teams.

"Last year's Super Bowl run was when I really popped off into the scene. Really the Titans game last year, that's when I got my first opportunity," Elliss explaiend. "And luckily God prepared me for that moment. I put in the work. Kind of up onto the scene. And now teams see me as a special teams asset."