Leroy Kelly

Leroy Kelly was born on May 20, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Simon Gratz High School, where he excelled in football as a quarterback, middle linebacker, kicker, punter, and kick returner. He also played basketball and baseball, earning honorable mention on the Pennsylvania All-Star Team and being voted the most outstanding athlete in his senior year. Kelly continued his athletic career at Morgan State University from 1960 to 1963, where coach Earl Banks transitioned him to running back. During his time at Morgan State, Kelly led the team in rushing, scoring, and punting in 1962, contributing to a CIAA Championship. He was also named the Most Valuable Player in the Orange Blossom Classic in 1963.

Kelly was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft. For his first two seasons, he served as an understudy to Jim Brown, primarily excelling as a punt and kickoff return specialist, which contributed to the Browns’ 1964 NFL Championship. When Jim Brown retired before the 1966 season, Kelly stepped into the starting running back role. He quickly established himself as a dominant force, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for three consecutive seasons from 1966 to 1968. During this period, he earned All-NFL honors each year and was selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls. He won NFL rushing titles in 1967 and 1968, and in 1968, he also led the NFL in scoring and earned the Bert Bell Award for NFL Player of the Year. He continued his Pro Bowl appearances for three more seasons (1969, 1970, 1971), earning first-team All-NFL selections in 1969 and 1971.

Over his ten-year career with the Cleveland Browns from 1964 to 1973, Kelly accumulated 7,274 rushing yards, 2,281 reception yards, and 2,774 return yards, totaling 12,330 combined net yards. He scored 90 touchdowns throughout his career. Kelly was known for his exceptional running ability, notably on muddy fields, and his agility in evading tacklers, which allowed him to miss only four games in ten years. After leaving the Browns, he concluded his professional playing career with the Chicago Fire of the World Football League in 1974, where he also served as the offensive backfield coach for the Philadelphia Bell. Kelly’s remarkable achievements led to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor in 2010.