Twice this week, Pat Shurmur has compared Rhett Ellison to Mark Bavaro.
“I’m sure my dad is not happy about it,” Ellison said on Thursday.
That’s because one of Bavaro’s iconic moments as a Giant was when he dragged a number of 49ers defenders down the field, refusing to be brought down. Ellison’ father, former NFL linebacker Riki Ellison, was one of those along for the ride.
But there’s another reason why Ellison wasn’t buying the comparison. Because on the field, it’s just not accurate.
“I think that was mostly a mentality thing,” Ellison said sheepishly at being spoken of in the same breath as one of the greatest tight ends in Giants history and one of the franchise's most popular players.