Tommy Kelly
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| Tommy Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 27, 1980 |
| Place of birth | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle/ end |
| College | Mississippi State |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2004-present | Oakland Raiders |
Tommy Kelly (born December 27, 1980 in Jackson, Mississippi) is an American football player who currently plays defensive end for the Oakland Raiders. He played in 22 games for Mississippi State University, earning 16 starts and making 82 tackles, including 15 for loss and two of which were sacks. At MSU, he had a reputation for being lazy and taking plays off. He was signed as a free agent in 2004 by the Oakland Raiders.
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[edit] 2004 season
After being signed in 2004 as an undrafted rookie free agent, Tommy Kelly alternated between 3-4 DE and 4-3 DT. In the very few plays that he saw action, he was able to rack up 4 sacks, including 3 weeks in a row from week 7 through week 9.
[edit] 2005 season
In 2005, the Raiders moved away from the 3-4 defense, with Tommy Kelly finding a spot as the RE. Lacking the prototypical size and speed for a RE, Tommy Kelly still fared well in his sophomore season, doing well to stop the run. However, it wasn't until he began to see time at DT that he saw the sacks starts coming once again. In week 9 alone, Kelly racked up a total of 3 quarterback sacks--reaching Kansas City veteran Trent Green. In each instance, Kelly had lined up as a DT rather than the RE that he had been playing as previously in the year. By the end of the season, Kelly had a total of 4.5 sacks.
[edit] 2006 season
In the offseason between the 2005 season and the 2006 season, Raider DT Ed Jasper told reporters that Tommy Kelly would be an absolute monster once he fully realized his talents and abilities. Due to these comments, as well fellow Raider DT and Pro Bowler Warren Sapp taking Kelly under his wing, expectation were high for the young defensive lineman as the Raiders entered the 2006 season. News that he would become a full-time defensive tackle also perked up the ears of the Raider Nation considering the success that he had been experiencing on the interior line his 1st two seasons.
However, the 2006 season came and went without those hopes and dreams of greatness being realized. Tommy Kelly only managed a meager 3.5 sacks, the lowest total of his professional career. This was not what was expected. He had received consistent playing time all season and he was playing the interior line, the spot where his pass rushing skills were his strength. Not only did he fail to reach the QB as many times as hoped, but Kelly also looked weak at the point of attack-many times being pushed backward on running plays. Much of the Raiders' woes against the run were, in fact, blamed on Kelly.
It should be stated, however, that Kelly was greatly miscast in his new role in the 2006 season. A much overlooked factor in the 2006 Raiders' season was the loss of massive nose tackle Ted Washington. When Tommy Kelly had previously experienced success, it was playing as an undertackle--a 3-technique defender that Warren Sapp plays so effectively. However, with Washington's defection to the Cleveland Browns, Kelly was thrust into a role as the nose tackle. At 6'6" and 300 lbs, he was greatly miscast for such a role. In fact, his few glimpses of greatness once again in 2006 were when he was playing next to yet another big man, Terdell Sands, who tips the scales at 6'7" 335 lbs. (and that is a conservative weight measurement)
[edit] High Expectations
The other theory is that the concerns of an inconsistent motor coming out of high school and college are merely manifesting themselves in Kelly's professional career. But the few glimpses of greatness are likely to keep Raider fans and even Raider coaches hoping for a Pro Bowl season from the young defensive lineman.
Going into the 2007 season, the Raiders have retained the services of Tommy Kelly as well as those of Terdell Sands. The hope is that, coupled with a big man in the middle, Tommy Kelly will finally have that breakout season. However, rumors abound that this breakout season may have to come from the outside as the Raiders' primary RE once again. Whether Kelly plays RE or UT, he has great quickness and very good strength. Couple those two skills with a great work ethic that he has shown while wearing the Silver and Black, and Kelly is primed for greatness. All that is left is for that greatness to be realized.
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