Future Watch: John Kelly Rookie Football Cards, Rams – John Kelly was drafted in the sixth round, the 176th overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2018 NFL Draft. This Michigan native was a terrific running back in high school and he set out to make a name for himself with the Tennessee Volunteers.
In 2015, his first season there, he was the third running back on the depth chart. Alvin Kamara, who plays for the Saints, was one of the players ahead of him. His season was 40 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown. He also got to play in the Outback Bowl.
In 2016, he did get to play second running back in a game against Texas A&M. In that he ran for 89 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown. Against Tennessee Tech he ran for 104 yards on just seven carries with another touchdown. That season he scored five times. He had 630 yards on 98 carries in limited play.
Kamara entered the draft in 2017 and Kelly became the lead running back. He ended up the season with 778 yards and nine rushing touchdowns and he caught 37 passes for 299 yards. After the season ended, he announced he would be entering the NFL Draft.
At 5-10, 216 he has the right size and frame for the position, and he shined at the combine. He did 15 reps on the bench press and a 120.0-inch broad jump (10 feet!).
For whatever reason, he slipped in the draft but went to Rams camp in hopes of seeing some playing time behind Todd Gurley and company.
Kelly played in four preseason games scoring three touchdowns. He had a 40-yard run and the team knew they had something in him.
Kelly sat all season until December 16th, in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He got a few carries.
On 12/23 against the Arizona Cardinals, he had 10 carries for 40 yards and one reception for nine yards.
Here’s a look at one of his touchdowns:
In the last game of the season, he had 15 carries for 30 yards and one catch for 18 yards. He got his feet wet late in the season and now he’s off to enjoy the Super Bowl. Will he play? Probably not, but he will enjoy the experience.
Future Watch: John Kelly Rookie Football Cards, Rams – Stats
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | Total Yds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
| 2018 | 22 | LAR | 42 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 74 | 0 | 7 | 2.7 | 18.5 | 6.8 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 18 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 66.7% | 29 | 3.5 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | 4 | 27 | 74 | 0 | 7 | 2.7 | 18.5 | 6.8 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 18 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 29 | 3.5 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
Future Watch: John Kelly Rookie Football Cards, Rams – More Resources
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For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.
Russ Cohen
is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
Baseball’s Best Rookies
Numbers Don’t Lie: Mets: The Biggest Numbers in Mets History
100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters
100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
“Strike Three!” – A Player’s Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994
The Winter Classic: The NHL’s Savior
The Philadelphia Flyers: Images of Sports
Pioneers of Baseball
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