Leroy Kelly
{{Short description|American football player (born 1942)}}
{{About|the football player|the mathematician|Leroy Milton Kelly}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image = Leroy Kelly 1971.jpg
| caption = Kelly playing for the Browns in 1971
| position = Running back
| number = 44
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|5|20|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 202
| draftyear = 1964
| draftround = 8
| draftpick = 110
| high_school = Philadelphia (PA) Gratz
| college = Morgan State (1960-1963)
| teams =
| highlights =
- NFL champion (1964)
- 4× First-team All-Pro (1966–1968, 1971)
- Second-team All-Pro (1969)
- 6× Pro Bowl (1966–1971)
- 2× NFL rushing yards leader (1967, 1968)
- 3× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1966–1968)
- NFL scoring leader ({{nfly|1968}})
- NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
- Bert Bell Award (1968)
- Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 7,274
| statlabel2 = Average
| statvalue2 = 4.2
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 74
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 190
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 2,281
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 13
| statlabel7 = Return yards
| statvalue7 = 2,774
| statlabel8 = Return touchdowns
| statvalue8 = 3
| pfr = KellLe00
| HOF = leroy-kelly
}}
Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1973. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.{{cite web|title=Leroy Kelly|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/leroy-kelly/|work=ProFootballHOF.com|access-date=12 July 2019}}
Early life and college
Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 20, 1942. His parents Orvin and Argie (Watson) Kelly, came from South Carolina to Philadelphia in the mid-1920s. They had nine children, two of whom died of rheumatic fever in 1940 before Kelly was born.{{Cite web |last=Rosa |first=Poch de la |date=2023-02-05 |title=The Life And Career Of Leroy Kelly (Story) |url=https://www.profootballhistory.com/leroy-kelly/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Pro Football History |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Tulsa |first=Alfonso L. |title=Pat Kelly – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/pat-kelly-2/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=sabr.org |language=en-US}} He grew up in Nicetown, in North Philadelphia.
He attended Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. During his hall of fame acceptance speech, Kelly singled out his high school coach, Louis E. DeVicaris, for getting him to college.{{Cite news |last=Naedele |first=Walter F. |date=March 4, 2010 |title=Louis E. DeVicaris, coach at Gratz, principal at King |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20100304_Louis_E__DeVicaris__coach_at_Gratz__principal_at_King.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}} Kelly attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, a leading HBCU.{{Cite web |title=Morgan State University Named ‘HBCU Institutional Leader’ by Fulbright Program |url=https://news.morgan.edu/hbcu-institutional-leader-fulbright/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Morgan State University Newsroom |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly enshrined in Black College Football Hall of Fame |url=https://morganstatebears.com/news/2014/3/24/FB_0324145301.aspx |access-date=7 July 2019 |website=morganstatebears.com}} He is considered by many knowledgeable Philadelphia sports writers to be one of the top 10 professional athletes ever to have come out of Philadelphia's high school leagues.{{Cite news |last=Mahon |first=Tom |date=August 4, 2014 |title=Wilt tops list of top pros from city leagues |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/20140804_Wilt_tops_list_of_top_pros_from_city_leagues.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}
At Gratz, Kelly lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he played quarterback and middle linebacker, and was a kicker, punter and kick returner as well.{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame |url=http://www.phillyhall.org/inductee_profile.asp?ind=346 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.phillyhall.org}} Kelly was team captain and won honorable mention on the Pennsylvania All Star Team. He was also a star basketball player, as well as winning honors as a high school baseball player. He was voted the most outstanding athlete in his senior year.{{Cite web |title=Leroy Kelly (1977) - Hall of Fame |url=https://morganstatebears.com/honors/hall-of-fame/leroy-kelly/76 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Morgan State University Athletics |language=en}} As a baseball player, he tried out for the Philadelphia Phillies, but felt he had a better future in football.
College
Kelly attended Morgan State from 1960 to 1963. College Football Hall of Fame coach, and fellow Philadelphian, Earl Banks coached Kelly at Morgan State, moving Kelly from quarterback to running back. He also played defensive back. In 1962, Kelly led Morgan State in rushing, scoring and punting, and the team won the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Championship. In 1963, his senior year, Kelly was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the Orange Blossom Classic. Kelly holds Morgan State records for touchdowns in a half (three against Delaware State in 1963), the longest scoring play from scrimmage (95 yards against Virginia State in 1962), and the longest punt return (67 yards against Delaware State in 1962). Kelly was inducted into Morgan State's Hall of Fame in 1977.
Career
He was selected by the Browns in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL draft.{{cite web |last1=McManamon |first1=Pat |title=Draft's eighth round gave Browns Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/87980/drafts-eighth-round-gave-browns-hall-of-famer-leroy-kelly |website=ESPN.com |date=April 20, 2016 |publisher=ESPN, Inc. |access-date=7 July 2019}} Buddy Young, who was working for the NFL at the time, brought Kelly to the Browns' attention as a potential draft pick. When Kelly was in danger of being cut in training camp because an injury was limiting his play, Jim Brown went to the coach and team trainer to convince them to give Kelly a week to heal, and his job was saved. As a Cleveland rookie he was a key return man, averaging 24.3 yards per return and contributing to the Browns' 1964 NFL championship. He was backup running back behind featured fullback Jim Brown and blocking halfback Ernie Green.{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly: Career Stats |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/leroykelly/2518295/careerstats |website=NFL.com |publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC |access-date=11 July 2019}} He moved up to become the Browns' featured running back after Brown's retirement at the end of the 1965 season. The Browns would make the playoffs in 7 of the 10 years Kelly played for them.{{Cite web |title=Gold Jacket Spotlight: Leroy Kelly Excelled As 'Next Man Up' {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2021/09/gold-jacket-spotlight-leroy-kelly-excelled-as-next-man-up/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=pfhof |language=en}}
Jim Brown, one of the greatest college and professional football players of all time,{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=Jim Brown, football great and activist, dies at 87 |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37685864/all-great-running-back-jim-brown-dies-87 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} and the first person selected to the NFL's 100th Anniversary team,{{Cite web |last=Kasabian |first=Paul |title=Browns Legend Jim Brown Becomes 1st Player Named to NFL's All-Time Team |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2863799-browns-legend-jim-brown-becomes-1st-player-named-to-nfls-all-time-team#:~:text=Pro%20Football%20Hall%20of%20Fame%20running%20back%20Jim,is%20part%20of%20the%20NFL's%20ongoing%20100th-anniversary%20celebration. |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}} told Browns coach Blanton Collier that he need not worry about Brown's retirement because Kelly would be a great replacement and a top NFL running back.{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Alan |date=July 28, 1994 |title=Hall Of Fame A Rush For Kelly |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1994/07/28/hall-of-fame-a-rush-for-kelly-2/ |work=Baltimore Sun}} Hall of fame receiver Paul Warfield, who was the Browns first draft pick in 1964, considered Kelly's kick returning that year a key to the team's championship success, and that Kelly's return ability and style generally caused a change in strategy around the league for kick returns.
When Jim Brown retired before the 1966 season, Kelly became the starter. For the next three years, he rushed for 1,000 yards each year, with a total of 3,585,{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly: Career Stats |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/leroykelly/2518295/careerstats |website=NFL.com |access-date=7 July 2019}} led the league in rushing touchdowns,{{cite web |title=NFL Rushing Touchdowns Single-Season Leaders |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_td_single_season.htm |website=ProFootballReference.com |access-date=7 July 2019}} and led the NFL in rushing in 1967 and 1968, after having finished second to Gale Sayers in 1966. Although second to Sayers in total yards in 1966, he led the NFL with a 5.5 yards-per-carry average, 1,507 total yards, 15 rushing touchdowns and 16 total touchdowns.
From 1966 to 1968, he won All-NFL and starting Pro Bowl honors. Kelly also played in three other Pro Bowls following the 1969, 1970 and 1971 seasons, and earned first-team All-NFL in 1969 and 1971.{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly learned from Jim Brown, became one of NFL's most feared ball carriers |url=https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/leroy-kelly-learned-from-jim-brown-became-one-of-nfl-s-most-feared-ball-16191237 |website=ClevelandBrowns.com |access-date=12 July 2019}} In 1968, he scored a touchdown in a franchise-record 12 games, and two-or-more touchdowns in a franchise-record 7. In game 12 of the 1970 season, he passed Bill Brown as the career rushing-yards leader among active players, a position he maintained until his retirement in 1974. Kelly led the NFL in rushing for two consecutive seasons (1967–1968). He also was a talented punt and kick returner, who averaged 10.5 yards per punt return and 23.5 yards per kick return for his career.{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KellLe00.htm |website=ProFootballReference.com |access-date=12 July 2019}} He was the NFL's leading punt returner in 1965 and the AFC's top punt returner in 1971.
After his excellent play in 1966, Kelly sought to double his salary of $20,000, and the Browns refused his demands. Along with some other Browns players, they reporting late to training camp. After being fined, Kelly decided to play out his contract option in 1967 at a 10% pay cut. He led the league with 1,205 yards rushing, averaging 5.1 yards a carry, and Browns owner Art Modell accepted that Kelly had gambled on his contract and won. In 1968, Kelly signed a four-year contract with the Browns for $250,000.
Kelly ended his pro career with the Chicago Fire of the World Football League in 1974, rushing for 315 yards (4.1 average) and catching 8 passes for 128 yards (16.0 average).{{cite web|url=http://www.hworth.net/wfl/index_wfl_summary.html |title=WFL World Football League |access-date=April 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715170818/http://www.hworth.net/wfl/index_wfl_summary.html |archive-date=July 15, 2009 }}
At the time of his retirement Kelly, had rushed for 7,274 yards (then 4th all-time to Jim Brown, Joe Perry, and Jim Taylor)[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_yds_career_1974.htm 1974 Rushing yards career leaderboard] and 74 touchdowns (3rd)[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_td_career_1974.htm 1974 Rushing TD career leaderboard] on 1,727 carries for 4.2 yards per carry. He also caught 190 passes for 2,281 yards and 13 touchdowns.{{cite web |title=Player BIO |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/leroy-kelly/biography/ |website=profootballhof.com |access-date=7 July 2019}} On special teams, he returned 94 punts for 990 yards and 3 touchdowns, and 76 kickoffs for 1,784 yards. Overall, he gained 12,330 all-purpose yards and scored 90 touchdowns. He was named All-NFL five times and to six Pro Bowls.{{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly |url=http://www.phillyhall.org/inductee_profile.asp?ind=346 |website=phillyhall.org |access-date=7 July 2019}}
After his retirement as an active player, he remained in the World Football League as the Philadelphia Bell's offensive backfield coach, joining two other Hall of Famers on that staff, former Green Bay Packers defensive backfield standouts Willie Wood (the first black head coach in pro football history) and fellow Philadelphian Herb Adderley (defensive coordinator).{{cite news |title=And Still Another First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdQDAAAAMBAJ&q=philadelphia+bell+leroy+kelly+willie+wood+herb+adderley&pg=PA124 |access-date=12 July 2019 |date=November 1975|publisher = Johnson Publishing Company}}
Honors
Kelly has received the following honors, among others;
- Voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1994){{cite web |title=Leroy Kelly, Class of 1994 |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/photos/gallery/leroy-kelly-class-of-1994/ |access-date=7 July 2019 |website=ProFootballHOF.com}}
- One of 11 players from the 1964 NFL draft class in the hall of fame, including his Brown's teammate Paul Warfield, a record for any one draft class
- Selected to the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2013){{Cite news |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Frank |date=October 23, 2013 |title=Leroy Kelly selected for Black College Hall |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/eagles/20131024_Leroy_Kelly_selected_for_Black_College_Hall.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}
- Inducted into the Browns Ring of Honor (2010)
- Inducted into Morgan State's Hall of Fame (1977)
- Member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
- Winner of the Maxwell Football Club's Bert Bell Award for NFL player of the year (1968)
- Selected to the 1960s all decade team
- Selected All NFL five times (1966-1969, 1971)
- Played in six Pro Bowls (three as a starter from 1966-1968){{Cite web |title=Leroy Kelly {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/leroy-kelly/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=pfhof |language=en}}
Family
Pat Kelly, his younger brother, was an All-Star outfielder who played for five teams during a 15-year Major League Baseball career.{{cite web |last1=Rasmussen |first1=Frederick N. |title=Pat Kelly, 61, outfielder for Orioles, evangelical minister |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/obituaries/bal-md.ob.kelly04oct04-story.html |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=7 July 2019}} Felicia Kelly, Leroy's only daughter, worked in the local news business for 20 years at Cleveland's ABC affiliate WEWS-TV. She worked in the engineering department, as a news source reporter, and hosted a half-hour entertainment show called "The Set." She is now an educator in the Cleveland Public School System. David Kelly, his eldest son, is sports anchor and reporter for KMSB-TV in Tucson, Arizona. Leroy Kelly II his second son, played 3 years in the American Indoor Football League and 1 year overseas in the GFL Germany League For the Kiel-Baltic Hurricanes. Leroy Kelly II was invited to 2 workouts with the Cleveland Browns and 1 with the Detroit Lions.{{cite web |last1=Cabot |first1=Mary Kay |title=Cleveland Browns will try out Leroy Kelly Jr., son of their Hall of Fame running back, on Monday |url=https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2012/05/cleveland_browns_will_try_out.html |website=Cleveland.com |date=May 31, 2012 |access-date=8 July 2019}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| style="background:#ffe6bd; width:3em;"|
| Won NFL Championship |
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league |
| Bold
| Career high |
| class= "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="6"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving ! colspan="2"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | FR |
| 1964 || style="background:#ffe6bd;"|CLE
| 14 || 0 || 6 || 12 || 2.0 || 0.9 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 1965 || CLE
| 13 || 1 || 37 || 139 || 3.8 || 10.7 || 16 || 0 || 9 || 122 || 13.6 || 52 || 0 || 3 || 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1966 || CLE
| 14 || 14 || 209 || 1,141 || style="background:#cfecec;"|5.5 || 81.5 || style="background:#cfecec;"|70 || style="background:#cfecec;"|15 || 32 || 366 || 11.4 || 40 || 1 || 1 || 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 1967 || CLE
| 14 || 14 || style="background:#cfecec;"|235 || style="background:#cfecec;"|1,205 || style="background:#cfecec;"|5.1 || style="background:#cfecec;"|86.1 || 42 || style="background:#cfecec;"|11 || 20 || 282 || 14.1 || 48 || 2 || 7 || 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1968 || CLE
| 14 || 14 || style="background:#cfecec;"|248 || style="background:#cfecec;"|1,239 || 5.0 || 88.5 || 65 || style="background:#cfecec;"|16 || 22 || 297 || 13.5 || 68 || 4 || 6 || 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1969 || CLE
| 13 || 13 || 196 || 817 || 4.2 || 62.8 || 31 || 9 || 20 || 267 || 13.4 || 36 || 1 || 1 || 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1970 || CLE
| 13 || 13 || 206 || 656 || 3.2 || 50.5 || 33 || 6 || 24 || 311 || 13.0 || 55 || 2 || 3 || 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1971 || CLE
| 14 || 14 || 234 || 865 || 3.7 || 61.8 || 35 || 10 || 25 || 252 || 10.1 || 29 || 2 || 7 || 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1972 || CLE
| 14 || 14 || 224 || 811 || 3.6 || 57.9 || 18 || 4 || 23 || 204 || 8.9 || 28 || 1 || 4 || 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1973 || CLE
| 13 || 13 || 132 || 389 || 2.9 || 29.9 || 19 || 3 || 15 || 180 || 12.0 || 36 || 0 || 3 || 0 | ||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"|[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KellLe00.htm Career] || 136 || 110 || 1,727 || 7,274 || 4.2 || 53.5 || 70 || 74 || 190 || 2,281 || 12.0 || 68 || 13 || 35 || 10 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=113 Member – Leroy Kelly]
- {{Footballstats |nfl=KEL681051 |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=K/KellLe00}}
{{Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor}}
{{1964 Cleveland Browns}}
{{Browns1964DraftPicks}}
{{Cleveland Browns Legends}}
{{Bert Bell Award}}
{{NFL rushing yards leaders}}
{{NFL rushing touchdowns leaders}}
{{NFL scoring leaders}}
{{NFL1960s}}
{{1994 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Leroy}}
Category:American football running backs
Category:Cleveland Browns players
Category:Chicago Fire (WFL) players
Category:Morgan State Bears football players
Category:Philadelphia Bell coaches
Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Players of American football from Philadelphia
Category:African-American coaches of American football
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen