Chad Kelly: From College Standout to CFL Star

Chad Kelly's journey in football has been anything but predictable. From a celebrated college career to facing numerous off-field challenges and ultimately finding success in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Kelly's story is one of resilience and determination. This article explores Kelly's education and college career, tracing his path from a highly-touted high school prospect to a CFL star.

Early Life and High School Career

Born on March 26, 1994, Chad Patrick Kelly is the son of Charlene Cudzylo and Kevin Kelly, and nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. Growing up in Western New York, about 90 miles from his current home in Toronto, Chad was immersed in the world of football from a young age. He excelled in various sports, including baseball, basketball, swimming, skiing, lacrosse, and soccer, but football was where he drew the most attention.

Kelly attended St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, where he showcased his talent as a quarterback. As a senior, he passed for 3,050 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 991 yards and 14 touchdowns. During his junior year, he passed for 2,159 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 1,059 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading his team to a state championship. Kelly's high school success led to him being rated as the #84 overall player and #4 quarterback in the nation by ESPN.com.

College Career

Clemson Tigers (2012-2014)

Kelly initially committed to Clemson University, drawn by the football program under coach Chad Morris. He redshirted in 2012. In 2013, as a freshman, Kelly played sparingly as the third-string quarterback, completing 10 of 17 passes for 58 yards in five games. He also showcased his athleticism, rushing for 117 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. However, his time at Clemson was cut short due to conduct detrimental to the program, leading to his dismissal in April 2014.

East Mississippi Community College (2014)

Following his departure from Clemson, Kelly transferred to East Mississippi Community College (EMCC). There, he led the team to a 12-0 record and a victory in the NJCAA National Football Championship.

Ole Miss Rebels (2015-2016)

Kelly returned to the top level of college football with the Ole Miss Rebels. In his first game against UT Martin, he completed 9 of 15 pass attempts for 211 yards and two touchdowns, adding a 20-yard rushing touchdown.

One of the defining moments of his college career came on September 19, 2015, when he led Ole Miss to a 43-37 victory over No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Kelly completed 18 of 33 passes for 341 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns in the game.

On November 7, 2015, Kelly accounted for 478 total yards and six touchdowns against Arkansas. Although he completed 24 of 34 passes for 368 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, Mississippi lost to Arkansas, 53-52, in overtime. The following week, he threw two touchdown passes and rushed for two touchdowns in a 38-17 victory over No. 15 LSU.

On January 1, 2016, he helped lead Ole Miss to a 48-20 victory over No. 16 Oklahoma State in the 2016 All-State Sugar Bowl and won the game's MVP honors after accounting for 21 completions out of 33 passes for 302 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Kelly also led the team with 73 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Kelly finished his first season with Ole Miss with 298 of 458 (65.1%) completions for 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In 2016, Kelly broke Archie Manning's single-game school record with 465 passing yards, completing 36 of a school-record 59 attempts and throwing three TDs with one INT. He added a team-high 40 rushing yards on 11 carries for a total yardage of 505 that ranks second in school history behind Archie's 540 vs. Alabama in 1969.

Kelly’s senior season was cut short due to injury.

Kelly finished his college career at Ole Miss as the SEC's best passer ever statistically with 309.1 passing yards per game. He owns the Ole Miss school record with 22 consecutive games with a passing TD and his 12 career 300-yard passing games are the most in school history. He set 25 school records (game, season, career) over his 22-game Ole Miss career. He started all 22 games as a Rebel and finished his career ranked top 10 in school history in career passing yards (3rd), pass attempts (7th), completions (4th), passing TDs (3rd), total offense (3rd) and TDs responsible for (3rd). Kelly amassed 6,800 passing yards, 40 passing TDs, 832 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs.

Professional Career

NFL Draft and Early Years

Chad Kelly was selected # 253 overall in the 7th Round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, making him that year's Mr. Irrelevant. Due to injury, Kelly was on the reserve/non-football injury list for the 2017 season. In his NFL preseason debut against the Minnesota Vikings on 8/11/18 Chad completed 14 of 21 pass attempts for 177 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 104.7 passer rating and rushed for 38 yards. With this performance he was promoted to the # 2 quarterback on the Broncos depth chart.

Kelly played exactly one snap for the team in 2018 before being released due to off-field issues. The Indianapolis Colts picked him up the following year, but he was cut a month into the season.

CFL Career

After being out of professional football for more than a year, he signed a CFL contract with the Toronto Argonauts in the 2022 offseason. Kelly spent the 2022 season as the Argonauts' backup quarterback, playing sparingly in short-yardage situations or garbage time. He got one start in the final week of the season before going back to his backup spot for the playoffs. Then, in the fourth quarter of the Grey Cup with the Argos trailing 23-17, Kelly found himself thrust into action after an injury to starting quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, ultimately leading the team to victory.

Read also: A Guide to Scholarships

The patience from the Argonauts has paid off in a big way. The team is 4-0 to start the 2023 season. Their offense is averaging 38.8 points and 401 yards per game, both of which lead the CFL. Their defense is one of the best in the league. Kelly himself is having a breakout season. His 90.4 overall grade leads the CFL. He’s shown that he can be a near-unstoppable dual-threat quarterback, as his passing grade (84.2) and rushing grade (87.0) both rank second at the position. Kelly is not only proving he belongs as a CFL starter but also that he belongs in the Most Outstanding Player award discussion.

Off-Field Issues

Throughout his career, Kelly has faced numerous off-field challenges. He was dismissed from Clemson for "conduct detrimental to their program." In December 2014, Kelly was arrested following an altercation outside of a Buffalo, New York, nightclub. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge after a Halloween party with players from the Broncos. In early 2024, Kelly was named in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit by a former Toronto Argonaut coach, with allegations that Kelly had made attempts of "unwanted romantic advances and escalating into instances of threatening language" leading to the coach’s dismissal upon reporting the incidents.

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