Chris Kelly
Miami High School
By Bryce McKinnis
Chris Kelly, a Miami High School senior originally from Baxter Springs, Kansas, knew his dream was to play football at the collegiate level from the first snap he played in second grade.
“My seventh grade year, when I first started playing linebacker, I found myself making a lot of plays, and the thought of playing football in college felt like it was an attainable goal,” Kelly said.
Then, the next year, Kelly transferred to Miami. Adjusting to a new team was an early challenge, but Kelly was determined to see his football dreams through and refused to allow the move to deter his progress. Luckily, Kelly’s teammates embraced him and welcomed him like one of their own.
“I would say [football] definitely helped me. It was a way I could connect with people and helped me adjust to everything,” Kelly said.
Kelly has since enjoyed a fulfilling football journey. He has helped the Wardogs make state playoff appearances each of the past two years.
“I’ve been able to enjoy some awesome experiences with my guys,” Kelly said, “like my freshman year, in my second start ever we pulled off a home win against Catoosa for our first district win in several years as well as being able to help take this team to its first playoff appearance in 14 years and making going to the playoffs something that is expected is really special.”
But he’s ready to take it another level. Gone are the days, Kelly hopes, of first round exits. This year, he and his teammates are gunning for a deep postseason run.
“It started this summer. In the time I’ve been here, this has been our best in terms of attendance and overall effort, but as we get deeper into the season, the big thing is just staying hungry and not getting complacent when we start winning and keep our eyes on our ultimate goal” Kelly said.
As an individual, Kelly’s goals are to make All-State, win district linebacker of the year, and leave his legacy at Miami.
“One of hard work and determination,” Kelly said. “I want to be that player that coaches and teachers refer back to as someone who always showed up day after day and worked as hard as possible.”
After high school, Kelly plans to play college football and later pursue a career within the FBI.
