A one-time enemy of thestate on the football field now tries to defend Hawaii — and the rest of the country and its allies — with the stakes much higher.
On Dec. 2, 1978, at Aloha Stadium, linebacker Riki Gray intercepted a pass and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown to seal USC’s 21-5 win. It dashed the Rainbows’ upset hopes after they’d trailed one of the most powerful teams in college football history just 7-5 for much of the second half.
Today, he’s known as Riki Ellison, as he was during the NFL career in which he won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers while averaging around 100 tackles per season.
He was drafted in 1983 by the 49ers, the same year as Jesse Sapolu, and considered Mosi Tatupu an idol.
He still plays strong defense, but this is no game.
Ellison, 52, is the founder and CEO of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a 13,000-member nonprofit organization. He’s in the news as North Korea ruler Kim Jong-un threatens war, including missile launches. Ellison is a respected expert on how to combat such strikes.
"In football we do the same thing. We run into each other, using kinetic energy. This is just at much higher speeds," Ellison said, in a phone interview from his Alexandria, Va., office.
He failed a predraft physical with the Dallas Cowboys, who told him he’d never play in the NFL. Bill Walsh, on the advice of Ronnie Lott, took a chance on him in the fifth round and Ellison played seven seasons with the 49ers and three more with the Raiders.
Ellison said knee injuries at USC helped motivate him to focus on school, and his backup plan eventually became his second career. He majored in international relations, studying under William Van Cleave, who was a top defense advisor to President Ronald Reagan.
"I’m not a military guy, but I’ve developed a strong depth of understanding of the systems in the past 33 years. It’s a passion of mine," said Ellison, who started MDAA in 2002 after the United States pulled out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Ellison was inspired by Reagan’s proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (known as "Star Wars") in 1983, and spent some of his NFL offseasons interning with defense contractors.
Strategic missile defense has long been a controversial issue because of its cost and perceived lack of value in a post-Cold War world. The MDAA is supported by military contractors and is viewed by some as merely a lobbying group. But Ellison said there are no contractors or military members on its board, and it is more of an educational than political entity. He travels the world advising military leaders and government officials.
"The issue was so divisive, it was Democrat-Republican. I felt the need for a group to develop the public’s will to deploy these defenses. These systems don’t kill anyone. Their use is as a diplomatic way to de-stress international tensions," Ellison said.
In 2010, President Barack Obama announced strong support for missile defense initiatives.
Ellison was born in New Zealand and is one-quarter Maori. He said as a Polynesian he feels a connection to Hawaii, and his work brings him here often because of its strategic location and military presence.
"I think Hawaii is one of the most difficult places to defend, and one of the most important," said Ellison, who will be here next month to meet with government and military leaders. He is often at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai.
On Tuesday, Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told Congress, "I believe we have the ability to defend the homeland, Guam, Hawaii and … our allies" in the event of a North Korean missile launch.
"I take the threats seriously and I think everyone from the commanders at Pearl Harbor to Adm. Locklear, to the president do," Ellison said. "There is a clear and present danger that is definitely real."
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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783 or on Twitter as @dave_reardon.
