CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Clarksville Rotary had the first African-American basketball player in OVC history, LM Ellis, speak at their meeting on Wednesday June 22, 2016.
Ellis moved from Woodlawn to the city in 1949 and where he lived next to the legendary Wilma Rudolph. He attended Cobb and then Burt High School where he played varsity basketball for four years.
“Basketball to me made all the difference in the world in my life,” Ellis said.
He continued by sharing stories of his mentor and coach Davey Whitney.
“Coach Whitney trained hard,” Ellis said. “By the time we played in the tournament we could score from rebound to layup in 4 seconds.”
The team won the National Negro High School Championship of 1961.
Coach Whitney and Ellis’s relationship was so close that Whitney eventually adopted Ellis.
After high school Ellis attended Austin Peay State University (APSU) and graduated in 1965. He played basketball in the military after college.
Ellis hopes to have APSU present his other teammates with a hall of fame plaque on the 50th anniversary of the team playing.