| No. 44 | |
| Running back | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: May 20, 1942 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Career information | |
| College: Morgan State | |
| NFL Draft: 1964 / Round: 8 / Pick: 110 | |
| Debuted in 1964 for the Cleveland Browns | |
| Last played in 1973 for the Oakland Raiders | |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.
During his 10-year NFL career, the 6-foot, 202-pound running back rushed for 7,274 yards and 74 touchdowns, on 1,727 carries. He also caught 190 passes for 2,281 yards and 13 touchdowns. 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.
Kelly led the NFL in rushing in 1967 and '68, also leading the league in rushing touchdowns for three consecutive years from 1966-68. He also was a talented punt and kick returner, who averaged 10.5 yards per punt return and 23.5 yards per kick return during his career.
Noted as an exceptionally fine runner on the muddy playing fields then in use, the 6-0, 202-pound Kelly favored the famed Browns trap play up the middle for his major yardage ventures but he was equally devastating on sweeps or as a receiver. His quick-starting ability, along with a sense of balance and knack of evading direct hits by tacklers, kept him relatively injury-free, missing only four games in 10 years and never more than one game per season.
Prior to his pro career, Kelly attended Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia and Morgan State University in Baltimore. He was selected by the Browns in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, he was a key return man, contributing to the Browns' 1964 NFL Championship. Initially he was a backup running back, behind featured fullback Jim Brown and blocking halfback Ernie Green. After Brown's retirement, he became the Browns' featured back.
Kelly played 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).[1]
Leroy Kelly retired from pro football following the 1974 season with the Chicago Fire, but remained in the World Football League. In 1975 Kelly joined the coaching staff of the Philadelphia Bell as the offensive backfield coach. He was joined by two other Hall of Famers on that staff. Willie Wood was named the first black head coach in modern pro football history and Herb Adderley who served as the defensive coordinator.
Kelly was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
His brother Pat Kelly was an All-Star outfielder who played for five teams during a 15-year Major League Baseball career.
His oldest son David Kelly is a sports anchor and reporter at KMSB-TV in Tucson, Arizona.
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