The circumstances surrounding Ellison's death weren’t clear. Records from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office show he died on an unspecified freeway. No cause of death was listed. An exam is pending.
The Inglewood native, who played for the Trojans from 2005-08, was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection known for hard hits. The San Diego Chargers drafted him in the sixth round in 2009. He played nine games for the team, then briefly joined the offseason roster for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.
Ellison faced federal arson charges in 2012 while playing for the Arena Football League's Spokane Shock after an incident where he caused $50,000 in damage by setting his bed on fire at the Big Trout Lodge in Liberty Lake, Wash.