Brian Ellis, a 1993 Naval Academy graduate and former varsity football player, was among the 67 victims of Wednesday night’s midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Ellis was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with an Army helicopter while attempting to land. Both the airliner and the helicopter plunged into the Potomac River and there were no survivors.

Ellis worked for Deloitte and was returning from a business trip to Kansas. The Charlottesville, Virginia, resident was 53.

“Our hearts go out to all those who experienced loss through this devastating event,” said John Schofield, spokesman for the Naval Academy Alumni Association. “Among those on board was one of our own — Brian Ellis, a former Navy football player and proud graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.”

Ellis spent 22 years in the Marine Corps, serving as a helicopter pilot and achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He flew the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion, a heavy lift helicopter. He was the weapons and tactics officer for his squadron before transitioning into training.

He returned to Pensacola Naval Air Station as a flight instructor for the Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor.

“He was an outstanding pilot and became a top-tier weapons and tactics instructor,” said Che’ Bolden, a Navy football teammate who roomed with Ellis during flight school in Pensacola.

Ellis retired in 2015. His last assignment was as speechwriter for Gen. James F. Amos, 35th commandant of the Marine Corps.

Born James Brian Ellis on March 25, 1971, he grew up in Clayton County, Georgia. An athlete at Morrow High, he was recruited to play football at the Naval Academy.

“Brian was a pure dropback passer and was recruited because Coach “Elliot” Uzelac was going to run a pro-style offense,” said Chad Chatlos, a teammate.

Uzelac was replaced by George Chaump, who changed the offense. Ellis became the backup quarterback.

“Brian was always working uphill to try to get on the field,” Chatlos said.

Ellis got his chance to start in the second game of his senior season in 1992 after Jim Kubiak was injured in the opener. However, he sustained a broken jaw in the game against Boston College. His jaw was wired shut for two months, but he returned in time to play briefly in the Army-Navy Game.

“Brian was definitely tough as nails and it was really a shame that he got hurt in the first game he got to start,” said Bob Kuberski, a defensive tackle at Navy who went on to play in the NFL. “Brian spent several months eating out of a straw, but he stayed positive and did whatever he could to help the team.”

Ellis was a two-year letterman who appeared in 22 games as a junior and senior.

As an undergraduate, Ellis became close with Bolden, Chatlos and Mark McGinnis, with all four going on to serve in the Marines.

“By junior year, we were all thick as thieves. We did all our cruises together and vacationed together,” Chatlos said.

Following graduation, they all became graduate assistants for Navy football then started The Basic School together in January 1994.

Navy football went 2-20 under Chaump during the junior and senior seasons for Ellis and his classmates. Chatlos, a defensive back, was captain of the 1992 team. Ellis was the backup quarterback, while Bolden was a reserve wide receiver.

“Brian and I spent a lot of time running second-team repetitions together,” Bolden said. “Brian worked really hard and stayed the course despite the disappointment of not playing much.”

“Brian had a really dry sense of humor and was very self-deprecating,” Bolden said, adding that Ellis was also “fastidious” and “well organized,” Bolden said.

Following retirement, Ellis became a government representative for Deloitte, often working with the Department of Defense and the Navy.

Ellis is survived by his wife Amy and two sons — Jack, 23, a George Mason graduate, and Luke, 21, a senior at Purdue.

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