kamoshika
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Kelly became a local standout playing two-ways for Oak Park, ultimately spurning Michigan and Michigan State to play tailback for the Vols. With his original dream tabled, Kelly simply used all that time on a 7"X28" board to his advantage in football. Countless hours had taught Kelly about balance, fearlessness and patience. “When you’d be at the top just looking down at 13 stairs and be like, ‘Whoa. That’s a lot of stairs,’ you just have to just forget about it all and just go for it,” Kelly said. "That’s just how I think when I run the ball. The gap isn’t always going to be there, but when it is you can’t hesitate. You have to just go for it. It taught me how to fall. I don’t want to just face-plant every time I get hit.”
...Looking back, Kelly admits his teammates viewed him differently than other players on offense even before he bloomed last year. There was something about him. Behind the scenes, Kelly emerged as a leader long before anyone had actually anointed him to be one. He practiced hard, was positive yet honest, and ultimately, his Energizer Bunny spirit helped calm a chaotic locker room. Kelly's communication skills — something he credits from years spent around skateboarding's vibrant culture and ethnicities — allowed him to connect with teammates of all backgrounds.
“He’s just an exciting runner,” senior offensive lineman Brett Kendrick said last fall. He’s fun to watch. He runs so hard. As an offensive lineman, that’s all you can ask for. He gives us a lot of praise and thanks us. It’s kind of locker room stuff.”
https://tennessee.rivals.com/news/x-gamechanger-
...Looking back, Kelly admits his teammates viewed him differently than other players on offense even before he bloomed last year. There was something about him. Behind the scenes, Kelly emerged as a leader long before anyone had actually anointed him to be one. He practiced hard, was positive yet honest, and ultimately, his Energizer Bunny spirit helped calm a chaotic locker room. Kelly's communication skills — something he credits from years spent around skateboarding's vibrant culture and ethnicities — allowed him to connect with teammates of all backgrounds.
“He’s just an exciting runner,” senior offensive lineman Brett Kendrick said last fall. He’s fun to watch. He runs so hard. As an offensive lineman, that’s all you can ask for. He gives us a lot of praise and thanks us. It’s kind of locker room stuff.”
https://tennessee.rivals.com/news/x-gamechanger-