Champ Kelly
{{Short description|American football executive (born 1980)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Champ Kelly
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
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| current_team = Miami Dolphins
| position = Senior personnel executive
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1980}}
| birth_place = Campbellton, Florida, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| high_school =
| college = Kentucky
| pastteams =
- Lexington Horsemen (2003–2006)
| pastcoaching =
- Lexington Horsemen (2007)
Wide receivers coach
| pastexecutive =
- Lexington Horsemen (2007)
General manager - Denver Broncos ({{nfly|2007}})
College scout - Denver Broncos ({{nfly|2008}}–{{nfly|2009}})
Assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting - Denver Broncos ({{nfly|2010}}–{{nfly|2014}})
Assistant director of pro personnel - Chicago Bears ({{nfly|2015}}–{{nfly|2016}})
Director of pro scouting - Chicago Bears ({{nfly|2017}}–{{nfly|2021}})
Assistant director of player personnel - Las Vegas Raiders ({{nfly|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2024}})
- Assistant general manager ({{nfly|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2024}})
- Interim general manager ({{nfly|2023}}) - Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
Senior personnel executive
| highlights =
| pfrexec = KellCh1
}}
Anthony "Champ" Kelly (born 1980) is an American football executive and former wide receiver and cornerback who currently serves as a senior personnel executive for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously served as the assistant general manager for the Las Vegas Raiders, as well as assistant director of player personnel for the Chicago Bears from 2017 to 2021 and the director of pro scouting from 2015 to 2016. Before joining the Bears in 2015, Kelly was a member of the Denver Broncos staff and was with the Lexington Horsemen of the United Indoor Football (UIF) as general manager, coach, and player.
Playing career
Kelly played college football at Kentucky as a wide receiver and defensive back from 1998 to 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/roster/anthony-kelly/1168|title=Anthony Kelly, UK Bio|website=www.ukathletics.com|date=10 August 2017 |access-date=February 6, 2020}} He played for the Lexington Horsemen (now known as Kentucky Horsemen) from 2003 to 2006, winning Indoor Bowl IV in 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/nfl/article231949448.html/|title=The Ride and Fall of the Horsemen: Rowdiest rivals tested title team's mettle|website=www.kentucky.com|access-date=November 15, 2020}}
Executive career
=Lexington Horsemen=
= Denver Broncos=
Kelly joined the Broncos in 2007 as the Northeast college scout before being appointed assistant director of pro personnel.{{cite web | last=Heath | first=Jon | title=Broncos got lucky with 2014 free agency signings | website=Broncos Wire|publisher=USA Today | date=2018-03-21 | url=https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/21/denver-broncos-got-lucky-2014-free-agency-class-talib-ware-sanders/ | access-date=2024-07-22}}
= Chicago Bears=
Kelly joined the Chicago Bears in 2015 as the team's director of pro scouting.{{Cite web |last=Wiltfong Jr. |first=Lester A. |date=2015-05-15 |title=The Chicago Bears announce three personnel moves |url=https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2015/5/15/8612997/the-chicago-bears-announce-three-personnel-moves |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Windy City Gridiron}} He was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2017.{{cite web | last=Finley | first=Patrick | title=Bears make front-office promotions | website=Chicago Sun-Times | date=2017-07-30 | url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2017/7/29/18319787/bears-make-front-office-promotions | access-date=2024-07-22}} His main responsibilities were grading the top 100 draft prospects, leading the team's efforts in free agency, and advance scouting.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2049460/2020/09/08/through-football-and-family-bears-executive-champ-kelly-has-found-his-calling/|title=Through football and family, Bears executive Champ Kelly has found his calling|website=www.theathletic.com|access-date=September 14, 2020}} In 2019, Kelly was a candidate in the New York Jets' general manager search,{{Cite web|url=https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-complete-interview-with-champ-kelly-for-gm-position|title=Jets Complete Interview with Champ Kelly for GM Position|website=www.newyorkjets.com|access-date=June 3, 2019}} in November 2020 he was candidate for the Atlanta Falcons job{{Cite web |last=McFadden |first=Will |date=2020-11-25 |title=Falcons GM search: Five things to know about Champ Kelly |url=https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/falcons-gm-search-five-things-to-know-about-champ-kelly |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=AtlantaFalcons.com}} and in January 2021 he was interviewed for the Denver Broncos GM position.{{Cite web |last=DiLalla |first=Aric |date=2021-01-08 |title=Broncos interview Chicago’s Champ Kelly for GM opening |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/broncos-interview-chicago-s-champ-kelly-for-gm-opening |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=DenverBroncos.com}}
= Las Vegas Raiders =
On February 2, 2022, Kelly was named the assistant general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders.{{Cite web|title=Raiders name Champ Kelly as Assistant General Manager|url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-name-champ-kelly-as-assistant-general-manager|access-date=2022-02-03|website=Las Vegas Raiders|language=en-US}} On November 1, 2023, Kelly was named the Raiders' interim general manager after the firing of general manager Dave Ziegler,{{cite web |url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-name-champ-kelly-as-interim-general-manager |title=Raiders name Champ Kelly as Interim General Manager |date=November 1, 2023 |website=Raiders.com |language=en |access-date=November 1, 2023}} keeping the title until Tom Telesco was hired to replace Ziegler on January 23, 2024. On February 17, 2025, it was announced that Raiders and Kelly mutually agreed to part ways.{{Cite web|title=Source: Champ Kelly out as Raiders assistant general manager|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43894634/champ-kelly-raiders-assistant-general- manager|access-date=February 17, 2025|website=espn.com|language=en}}
=Miami Dolphins=
On March 14, 2025, Kelly was hired by the Miami Dolphins to serve as a senior personnel executive.{{Cite web|title=Dolphins hire Champ Kelly as personnel executive|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dolphins-hire-champ-kelly-as-personnel-executive|access-date=April 11, 2025|website=nbcsports.com|language=en}}
Personal life
Kelly and his wife Stephanie have three daughters. He was born in Campbellton, Florida. He founded Heart Power, a nonprofit which has hosted youth programs in several states.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballweekly.com/2017/06/23/at-c-h-a-m-p-camps-bears-director-of-pro-scouting-champ-kelly-gives-back-to-youth/ac5en6k/|title=C.H.A.M.P. Camps|website=www.profootballweekly.com|access-date=February 6, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballweekly.com/2017/06/23/champ-kelly-scouts-the-right-path/ah2p1c3/|title=Champ Kelly Scouts the Right Path|website=www.profootballweekly.com|access-date=February 11, 2020}} Kelly graduated from Kentucky with a master's in business administration and a bachelor's in computer science. He worked for IBM as a software and quality engineer from 2002 to 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/team/coaches/champ-kelly|title=Champ Kelly: Assistant Director of Player Personnel|website=www.chicagobears.com|access-date=February 6, 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.raiders.com/team/front-office-roster/champ-kelly Las Vegas Raiders bio]
{{Las Vegas Raiders general manager navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Champ}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Chicago Bears executives
Category:Denver Broncos executives
Category:Denver Broncos scouts
Category:Kentucky Wildcats football players
Category:Las Vegas Raiders executives
Category:Lexington Horsemen players