Ellis wins Comeback Player of the Year award.

Five months ago, no one, not even Greg Ellis, knew when, or if, he was going to step on a football field this season, or ever again.

When the Cowboys defense takes the field on Sunday afternoon against the Giants, Ellis will be out there, starting at outside linebacker, as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Ellis beat out New England’s Randy Moss, who rose like a phoenix to have a record-setting year for the Patriots.

Moss’ numbers are great, but if you base the award on how far the winner had to come back to succeed, Ellis should have won it in a runaway (he got 12 votes to Moss’ 10).

After Ellis tore his Achilles’ tendon last season, in the midst of what could have been a career year for him, when he would return to the field was up in the air.

Then the Cowboys drafted Anthony Spencer in April. Then, Ellis aggravated the injury early in training camp, and as he waited, waited, and waited for the nagging pain to subside, he sulked openly, both about his uncertain future, and about his contract situation.

For a little while, it was easy to wonder if he was going to get on the field again, may it be in Dallas, or at all.

The season started, Spencer started in his position, and Ellis waited some more.

Finally, he got back on the field in Week 4 against the Rams, and when he did, it looked like he’d never left, as he had a sack and a half that day.

With a two-sack night in the 37-27 win over Green Bay on November 29, Ellis had a new career high of 10.5 sacks in only nine games, one higher than the nine that he had in 16 games in 2004.

He finished the season with 12.5 sacks, which tied him for sixth in the NFL.

From doubts about his career to a career year.

Congratulations Greg, and hopefully you still have plenty of sacking and QB harassing left in you.