Perry Ellis pens farewell letter to KU fans

By Matt Tait     Apr 21, 2016

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Kansas forward Perry Ellis (34) jokes with the coaching staff during the Senior Day speeches following the JayhawksÕ 85-78 win over the Cyclones

Former Kansas University forward Perry Ellis, who still is less than a month removed from being the face of the KU basketball program, teamed with the popular web site The Players’ Tribune to pen a farewell letter to Jayhawk fans everywhere.

The letter, titled “Thank You, Kansas,” takes Jayhawk fans on a journey all the way back to Ellis’ freshman year and before, with pictures from his days as a young baller and tales of his childhood in Wichita.

Some of it you’ve heard before, but even if you have it’s [one final look at what being a Jayhawk meant to Ellis.][1]

Dubbed “a new media company that provides athletes with a platform to connect directly with their fans, in their own words,” The Players’ Tribune has taken the sports world by storm, with letters, flashbacks, inside stories and memorable moments from some of the world’s best known athletes.

Founded by former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter, The Players’ Tribune publishes first-person stories from athletes, providing unique insight into the daily sports conversation. Through impactful and powerful long and short form stories, video series and podcasts, The Players’ Tribune brings fans closer than ever to the games they love.

Fellow former KU great Paul Pierce already has been featured on the site 11 times, including [this look back at the heartbreaking loss to Arizona during the 1997 NCAA Tournament.][2]

[1]: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/perry-ellis-kansas-goodbye-letter/
[2]: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/paul-pierce-kansas-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-one-bad-game/

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.