Andrean senior Ellis Dumas IV doesn’t have a lot of spare time.
In addition to playing running back and linebacker for the 59ers, Dumas participates in various activities.
“He represents what it means to be an Andrean football player,” coach Chris Skinner said. “He’s undersized, but he has the heart of a lion. He’s really dedicated in all aspects of the sport — weight room, playbook, leadership. He does everything at a high level.
“He’s a well-rounded individual.”
The 5-foot-7, 165-pound Dumas, who is also a sprinter and long jumper in track and field, ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns and had 22 tackles last year. But he missed almost half of the season with a high ankle sprain. After posting 57 yards and a TD against Hobart on Sept. 15, he suffered the injury the following week against Highland.
He said he’s healthy entering this season and eager to “show my talent,” having dedicated himself to doing everything possible to take care of his body.
“I’m ready to go,” Dumas said. “I just want to be a leader, be a guy someone looks ups to. Hopefully, I’ll be one of those guys that people talk about when I leave, like, ‘Ellis, he was a great guy. Ellis was like a big brother to me.’ I just want us to have that type of brotherhood. I just want to make my mark at the school.”
Andrean senior defensive back/wide receiver Jimmy Finley, a Northern Illinois recruit, believes Dumas has made that sort of impact.
“He’s one of the main ones that holds us together,” Finley said. “He’s one of those players you look at like, ‘He’s not like that.’ But when you start playing with him, he’s really good. I love playing with him. He’s a cool guy. His leadership skills are through the roof. When we’re out together, he’s like the main guy.”
Dumas, who is a member of the chess club and volunteers for Young Adults Really Care, is making his mark outside of school too. He is a youth pastor/director at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and occasionally travels to speak about his faith. He’s also the president of the Gary/Northwest Indiana chapter of Jack and Jill of America.
“It’s an organization for young Black people and Black families to excel in leadership skills and education and put you on the right path, the right direction, to set you up for the future,” Dumas said.
Dumas also is vice president of the NAACP’s Gary Youth and College Division. He attended the NAACP national convention in Boston last year after qualifying for a poetry competition. He shared personal experiences in “I Am,” and even though his work didn’t win, he said it was well-received.
“I got there, and I was a little nervous because it’s huge,” Dumas said. “It was a big stage. But I spoke well, and everybody loved my poem. It just wasn’t my day.
“Going to the national convention for the NAACP, it was just a great experience to go out there and just meet people and network and see everybody. A lot of celebrities came, so that was great too.”
Dumas wants to help the tradition-laden 59ers (3-7) get back on track after they had their first losing season since 2016, Skinner’s first as the team’s coach. Dumas likes their chances to return to form.
“We’re really bonding,” Dumas said. “We’re a younger team, but we’re sticking together, and everyone’s buying in. We just have to do more, lead by example, and then they’ll work hard, just like we do. It glues everything together and makes everything more efficient.
“We have all the right pieces. We definitely have the talent, definitely have the skills. It’s just executing and putting everything together. It’s having that mentality of never giving up. We just have to push ourselves to that next level this year, not only on the field, but in practice, in the classroom, everything. No excuses and no regrets.”
That notion especially resonates with Dumas, who expects to focus on academics in college. He plans to study pre-law and eventually become a lawyer.
His father, Ellis Dumas III, is the chief of staff for Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, whom Ellis Dumas IV considers to be like an uncle. Ellis Dumas III grew up with Melton, and the two families are close.
“Hopefully, I’ll get into politics, get into that scene, run for office,” Ellis Dumas IV said. “I’ve gotten to know different people and kind of gotten to see behind the scenes of politics, and it’s something I like and enjoy. But right now I’m just really focusing on getting that law degree. It takes a long time, and that’s the most important thing right now.”
Skinner has no doubt Dumas will flourish regardless of his route.
“We ask a lot of these kids, and we have unbelievable kids who are going to go off and do great things, and that’s Ellis,” Skinner said. “He’s involved, and what he’s been able to do and achieve already is unbelievable. It’s what leaders are made out of.
“It’s not how many tackles you make on a Friday night or how many yards you have. He might not be an all-state football player or get a Division I scholarship. But he’s on a path to success, and that’s pretty cool.”
