RIP, Steve Ellis

Longtime Tallahassee Democrat FSU beat writer Steve Ellis was 54.

http://nolesports.tallahassee.com/article/20091119/FSU03/91119019/Tallahassee-Democrat-sports-writer-Steve-Ellis-dies

 

Just terribly sad news - I wasn't aware he had suffered a heart attack. Steve was always one of the good guys on the ACC road - I always enjoyed talking with him at FSU and ACC events. A truly nice guy who worked his butt off and, I believe, wrote a book or two with Bobby Bowden.
He will be missed. RIP.

 

Very sad to hear this. Steve was one of the nicest guys out there and a hell of a reporter.

 

That is incredibly sad...Steve was a genuinely great guy who did a damn fine job and was never too busy to give a young guy a kind word. He'll be missed by many people, including me. RIP.

 

Wow, that blows my mind. Thoughts and prayers are with his family.

 

Steve Ellis worked harder on his beat that anybody I have ever known in the business, yet he took the time to help the new guys, like me, who breezed through Tallahassee over the years and didn't know nearly as much abou FSU. Famous story, and true, is that when he was on his first honeymoon, he called in a recruiting story to the paper. THAT'S how hard the guy worked at his craft. You can bet your butt that Bobby Bowden will attend the funeral. He respected Steve, and rightly so.

 

Very, very sad news.

 

This sounds exactly like the Steve I know...Still having a hard time getting my head around this news today...I've been splitting my time between Tampa and Tallahassee past couple of weeks and went by to visit Steve in the hospital on Sunday...He looked worn down physically, but he was chatty as always and in good spirts...

He called me last night about 9:15 and left a voice mail just checking in, saying not to worry about calling him back since it was getting late for him...and then today he is gone...Incredibly hard worker who was one of the true grinders our biz.

He'll be missed around Tallahassee, that's for sure.

 

Incredibly hard worker and a genuinely nice person. Hard to imagine anyone staying on the same college beat for almost 20 years any longer. His readers knew one thing for certain: with him on the beat, chances were good that they got the news first and failing that, got it accurately. And most of the time, he gave them both.

 

Couldn't agree more with everything here. Steve was a passionate beat writer and great company at all times, especially on long afternoons in the old FSU atrium, waiting for players and coaches to wander through. The last time I saw him he was at the 08 U.S. Olympic track trials, all the way to Eugene to cover a single FSU athlete, sprinter Walter Dix. Steve was tlrelessly working the mixed zone and unselfishly doling out tidbits to any writer -- bigtime or small -- who asked about Dix. A terrific journalist and a better guy. Sad day.

 

All the accolades written here about Steve Ellis are spot on. One of the best in the business. I was just starting out in the biz and one of our local players got in trouble and was kicked off the Florida State team. We needed a comment from Bobby Bowden and it was late. We called Ellis to see if he could help us out. Ten minutes later, Bowden called US, we didn't call him. Steve didn't have to do that, but that's the kind of guy he was. Damn, he will be missed.