Kelly is better than that; now he needs to prove it
Published: 4/10/2008 12:18 PM
Last Modified: 4/10/2008 12:18 PM
The verbal thrashing Malcolm Kelly gave his old program at Wednesday's Oklahoma Pro Day workout was sad on a couple fronts.
Most disappointing was it may have done as much damage to his draft prospects as the poor 40 times he clocked. Pat Jones has been making this point all morning on The Sports Animal -- NFL personnel have no interest in excuse-making, particularly when they're measuring the physical AND mental capacity of potential draftees. Kelly's finger-pointing shouldn't cost him rounds, like a failed drug test would, in the upcoming draft. But it will certainly cost him slots. And since he was a mid-to-late first round prospect before Wednesday, the second round suddenly looms.
That's very unfortunate. So is the fact that one of the most thoughtful players to suit up for Bob Stoops had a public meltdown of that magnitude. No one who read Kelly's quotes will consider him very bright, but trust me, he is extremely bright. And pleasant.
He simply had a sullen, silly moment and a very bad time.
Part of it was buildup from the things the went wrong for Kelly as the 2007 season wore on. The lack of catches, or even opportunities for catches. The friction with coaches that resulted from the lack of production. The late-season thigh injury.
And part of it was what Kelly is going through right now, the sudden realization that football has become his livelihood, and that there are already very real threats to that livelihood.
Consider something Chris Steuber of Scout.com recently wrote: "Kelly's inability to work out this off-season hasn't done much for his draft status. Teams are starting to wonder about his health, and anytime someone questions your physical prowess, it's never a good thing, especially when you play a skill position. Kelly must prove his critics wrong and run a sparkling 40 (at OU's Pro Day). He's a long-strider with good speed, but after (Michigan State's) Devin Thomas' surprising 4.4-time in the 40, the stakes have been raised."
Under extraordinary amounts of pressure and disappointment, Kelly didn't exactly rise to meet those stakes Wednesday. As a result, in whatever workouts or interviews he is granted between now and the draft, he must prove he is both fast enough and man enough to warrant a first-round pick.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
