Leroy Kelly
| Leroy Kelly | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): Halfback |
Jersey number (s): 44 |
| born on May 20, 1942 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1964 - 1974 | |
| NFL Draft : 1964 / Round: 8 / Pick: 110 | |
| College : Morgan State University | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Achieved gain in space by catching the pass | 2281 yards (NFL) |
| Achieved space gain through running game | 7274 yards (NFL) |
| Touchdowns | 90 (NFL) |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA ) is a retired American football player . He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns as a halfback .
youth
Leroy Kelly attended high school in his hometown . In his school he was active as a basketball and baseball player. In the football team he played as a quarterback , but was also used in various other positions. In all three sports he has received several awards from his school for his athletic achievements.
Player career
College career
Leroy Kelly initially wanted to take up a trade and had no ambitions to continue his career as a football player. The Morgan State University offered him to study part-time, and gave him a job. Kelly studied in Baltimore from 1960 to 1963. He was used as a running back by the coach of the football team, but also found time in the team's defense . Kelly became his team's deputy captain and won the league championship with his team in 1962. In 1963 he played with his college team in the Orange Bowl Classic against the Florida A&M University team . His team lost 30: 7. However, he himself was voted the game's MVP . The college team's training was regularly watched by players and scouts from the Baltimore Colts . He received advice from the players in particular on how to improve his game. Although Buddy Young, Scout of the Colts, spoke out in favor of a commitment from Kelly among the club officials, it was rejected. Kelly weighed 85 kg and was considered too light by the club officials.
Professional career
Kelly was drafted 110th in the eighth round by the Cleveland Browns in 1964 . He received a contract with an annual salary of 17,000 US dollars . The head coach of the Browns Blanton Collier rarely let Kelly play in the team's offense . Jim Brown was a regular on the position of fullback and was used by Collier as a ball carrier in the running game. Since the position of the halfback was already occupied, Kelly had to be satisfied with the role of the substitute player. Kelly got more time in the special teams of the team, where he was used as a punt and kickoff returner . In 1964 he was able to achieve his first touchdown as a rookie with a point return . That year he won the NFL championship with his team. In the final, the Colts were beaten 27-0. The following year, the Browns failed in the NFL final 23:12 at the Green Bay Packers .
After the 1965 season, Brown retired to become an actor. Kelly was used as a starter in the offense. He became the main ball carrier of the Browns. Over the next three years of play, Kelly set several NFL season bests. 1966 to 1968 he scored the most touchdowns with running game, in 1967 and 1968 he also achieved the annual high with 1205 and 1239 yards gain. The Browns remained a top team in the NFL despite being unable to win a title. In 1968 the Browns failed in the NFL final 34-0 to the Colts, followed by a 27-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the 1969 final . Kelly could not play a decisive role in any of the games, he did not manage a touchdown.
In 1972 Kelly signed a two-year contract with the Browns, which earned him an annual income of $ 80,000. Due to a knee injury, its effectiveness decreased significantly in 1973. The Browns put him on the transfer list and the Oakland Raiders secured the rights to Kelly but ultimately refrained from signing. Kelly then signed a contract with Chicago Fire, a World Football League (WFL) team. After the team from Chicago stopped playing after the 1974 season due to financial problems, Kelly ended his playing career and moved to the coaching staff of Philadelphia Bell, another team of the WFL. The WFL went bankrupt after the 1975 season and Kelly retired from football.
Honors
Leroy Kelly played six times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He has been nominated for All-Pro five times . Kelly is a member of the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team , the Morgan State University Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame . In 1968 he received the Bert Bell Award . The Cleveland Browns honor Leroy Kelly at their stadium on the Ring of Honor and have him included in the Honor Roll.
Web links
- Biography (PDF; 52 kB)
- Leroy Kelly with the Cleveland Browns
- Homepage about Leroy Kelly
- Leroy Kelly on the City of Cleveland website
- Leroy Kelly in his college hall of fame
literature
- Frank M. Henkel: Cleveland Browns History. Arcadia, Chicago IL 2005, ISBN 0-7385-3428-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Browns 1964
- ^ NFL endgame statistics 1964
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Browns 1965
- ^ NFL endgame statistics 1965
- ^ Annual statistics of the Browns 1968
- ↑ NFL endgame statistics 1968
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Browns 1969
- ^ 1969 NFL endgame statistics
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kelly, Leroy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA |