Kelly Hopes His Injuries Are In the Past
By Brian Tinsman
Posted Jun 17, 2011
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Once a highly touted Redskins prospect, wide receiver Malcolm Kelly went into 2010 hoping for a breakout season. Derailed early by nagging hamstring injuries, Kelly was placed on injured reserve at the end of training camp.
Despite the disappointment, Kelly never stepped out on his teammates. Throughout the season, he stuck with the same routine that he would if he were playing.
“I was here for every single play in every single meeting and team meeting,” Kelly said after the 2010 season ended on Jan. 4. “That’s hard, coming to meetings every day, when you know you’re not going to be able to go out there and play.
“To some people, that’s pointless. But at the same time, it’s showing coaches that I want to be here, I want to be in the playbook, keep my mind on the playbook.”
After shutting Kelly down for the season, head coach Mike Shanahan let it be known that he was giving the receiver a chance to stay and make an impact in 2011, rather than cutting him outright.
“I think Malcolm has a lot of qualities you look for in a football player,” Shanahan said. “If I see the right type of work ethic and him doing the little things – the little things the right way – he's got a much better opportunity to be with us next year.”
This approach was not lost on Kelly. He compared his situation to that of fellow wide receiver Devin Thomas, who was cut by Shanahan in October.
Said Kelly: “I think Coach Shanahan let everybody know from the time he got here – everybody has a vibe that we aren’t the guys that he brought [here]. That means we have to show him that we want to be here and that we can play football.”
Being on the sidelines offered Kelly a different perspective than being on the field. In some respects, it offered him a better view of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which takes time to grasp.
“It’s a wide-open scheme, it’s a wide-open offense,” Kelly said. “It’s a lot more complicated than people think. I think that after a year or two, I’ll be good with it.”
Kelly was selected in the second round (51st overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. At 6-4, 226 pounds, he possesses impressive size and physical tools necessary to be a dominant receiver.
“I think I’ll still be given an opportunity,” he said on Jan. 4. “I think if [Shanahan] didn’t want to give me an opportunity, he would have let me go during training camp. That’s how I look at it. By him keeping me around, it gives me a chance though.”
In his brief career, Kelly has 28 receptions for 365 yards, for a 13.0 yards-per-catch average. In 2009, he appeared in all 16 games, starting 10, and had a career-long reception of 84 yards against the Chargers in Week 17.
“I think that I can bring a different set of elements to the offense,” Kelly said. “We’ll just have to see how everything goes.”
I hope Kelly finally steps it up as well. Also hope the injury bug leaves him alone.