Leroy Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leroy Kelly

Kelly playing for the Browns in 1971
No. 44
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1942-05-20) May 20, 1942 (age 83) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:	Philadelphia (PA) Gratz
College:	Morgan State (1960-1963)
NFL Draft:	1964 / Round: 8 / Pick: 110
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1964–1973) Chicago Fire (1974)
Career highlights and awards
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 (1968) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Bert Bell Award (1968) Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 7,274 Average: 4.2 Rushing touchdowns: 74 Receptions: 190 Receiving yards: 2,281 Receiving touchdowns: 13 Return yards: 2,774 Return touchdowns: 3
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942) is a famous American former football player. He was a running back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1973. Leroy Kelly was so good that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Early Life and College Years

Leroy Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 20, 1942. He grew up in a part of North Philadelphia called Nicetown.

He went to Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. His high school coach, Louis E. DeVicaris, helped him get into college. Kelly then attended Morgan State University in Baltimore. Morgan State is a well-known HBCU. Many sports writers in Philadelphia think Kelly is one of the top 10 professional athletes ever from their high school leagues.

High School Sports Star

At Gratz High School, Kelly was a star in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he played many positions. He was a quarterback, middle linebacker, kicker, punter, and kick returner. He was the team captain and was named an honorable mention on the Pennsylvania All-Star Team. He was also a great basketball player and won awards in high school baseball. In his senior year, he was voted the most outstanding athlete. He even tried out for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. But he felt his best future was in football.

College Football Success

Kelly played football at Morgan State from 1960 to 1963. His coach, Earl Banks, moved Kelly from quarterback to running back. Kelly also played defensive back. In 1962, Kelly led Morgan State in rushing, scoring, and punting. His team won the CIAA Championship that year.

In 1963, his final year, Kelly was named the Most Valuable Player in the Orange Blossom Classic. He still holds several records at Morgan State. These include three touchdowns in one half and the longest scoring play from scrimmage (95 yards). He also had a 67-yard punt return. In 1977, Kelly was inducted into Morgan State's Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Career

The Cleveland Browns picked Leroy Kelly in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL draft. An NFL scout named Buddy Young told the Browns about Kelly. At first, Kelly was almost cut from the team because of an injury. But Jim Brown, a legendary player, convinced the coach to give Kelly more time to heal. This saved Kelly's spot on the team.

As a rookie in 1964, Kelly was a key player on special teams. He returned kicks and helped the Browns win the 1964 NFL championship. He was also a backup running back behind Jim Brown and Ernie Green.

Stepping Up After Jim Brown

After Jim Brown retired at the end of the 1965 season, Kelly became the Browns' main running back. Jim Brown himself told the coach not to worry. He said Kelly would be a great replacement and a top NFL running back. The Browns made the playoffs in 7 of the 10 years Kelly played for them.

Paul Warfield, a Hall of Fame receiver, said Kelly's kick returning in 1964 was key to the team's championship. He also said Kelly's return skills changed how other teams played kick returns.

Leading the League

When Kelly became the starter in 1966, he rushed for over 1,000 yards for three years in a row. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during these years. He also led the NFL in rushing yards in 1967 and 1968. In 1966, he led the NFL with an amazing 5.5 yards per carry. He also had 1,507 total yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

From 1966 to 1968, Kelly was named All-NFL and started in the Pro Bowl. He played in three more Pro Bowls after the 1969, 1970, and 1971 seasons. He was also named first-team All-NFL in 1969 and 1971. In 1968, he scored a touchdown in a team-record 12 games. He also scored two or more touchdowns in a record 7 games.

Kelly was also a great punt and kick returner. He averaged 10.5 yards per punt return and 23.5 yards per kick return in his career. He led the NFL in punt returns in 1965.

Contract and Retirement

After his great play in 1966, Kelly wanted his salary to double. The Browns didn't agree at first. Kelly decided to play for a 10% pay cut in 1967. He then led the league with 1,205 rushing yards. After that, the Browns' owner agreed that Kelly had earned a better contract. In 1968, Kelly signed a four-year contract for $250,000.

Kelly finished his professional playing career with the Chicago Fire in the World Football League in 1974. After playing, he became a coach for the Philadelphia Bell team in the World Football League.

When he retired, Kelly had rushed for 7,274 yards and 74 touchdowns. He also caught 190 passes for 2,281 yards and 13 touchdowns. He gained over 12,330 total yards and scored 90 touchdowns. He was named All-NFL five times and played in six Pro Bowls.

Honors and Awards

Leroy Kelly has received many important honors for his amazing career:

• Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1994). He was one of 11 players from his 1964 draft class to make it to the Hall of Fame.
• Selected to the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2013).
• Inducted into the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor (2010).
• Inducted into Morgan State's Hall of Fame (1977).
• Member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
• Won the Bert Bell Award in 1968, given to the NFL Player of the Year.
• Selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
• Named All-NFL five times (1966-1969, 1971).
• Played in six Pro Bowls (three as a starter from 1966-1968).

Family Life

Leroy Kelly's family also includes other talented people. His younger brother, Pat Kelly, was an All-Star outfielder in Major League Baseball.

Leroy's only daughter, Felicia Kelly, worked in local news in Cleveland for 20 years. She was an engineer, a reporter, and hosted an entertainment show. Now, she is an educator in the Cleveland Public School System.

His eldest son, David Kelly, is a sports anchor and reporter for KMSB-TV in Arizona. His second son, Leroy Kelly II, played football in the American Indoor Football League and in Germany. He even had workouts with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.

NFL Career Statistics

Here are Leroy Kelly's career statistics from his time in the NFL.

Images for kids

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  Leroy Kelly's autograph