Ending a two-year hiatus and topping Tufts single-season rushing record of 1,070 yards, junior running back Keven Kelley capped off his return in the final game of the season against the Middlebury Panthers last weekend. He rushed 136 yards to give him 1,079 on the season, topping Paul Dresens' 1988 record of 1,070.
"It felt really good," Kelley said. "I didn't really expect to come in after two years off and even come close to breaking a record."
Among his 136 yards last weekend was a 16-yard touchdown run, as the Jumbos defeated Middlebury 20-6 to finish the season third in the NESCAC at 6-2. The yardage countdown began at 9:24 in the fourth quarter when coach Bill Samko gave the ball to Kelley for ten consecutive runs. With an 11-yard run Kelley clinched the record.
"Everyone was really rooting for me," Kelley said. "It was great that the coaches had that amount of faith in me to give me the ball so many times.
"It was pretty hard not to think of the record going into the game," he continued. "Coach [Mike] Browne constantly reminded me how many yards I needed to go...and he let everyone else know too. He was really pushing for me."
Kelley led the NESCAC conference in yards rushed per game. He averaged 134.9 yards, almost 20 more than any other player in the league. He also led the NESCAC with his eight running touchdowns on the season.
"His return to the team this year shows his natural ability," senior teammate Shane Waldron said. "He can take time off, and not only come back in, but break records...he is obviously a gifted athlete."
Because of his stellar performance in the season finale last week, Kelley was named NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Looking at his accomplishments, it is a bit surprising to note that Kelley in fact did not start for the Jumbos. Junior Chuck McGraw typically started the first series and Kelley got in for the majority of plays thereafter.
"Keven is a player who we can always count on for every play," Waldron said. "He makes 40 good plays a game and is always out there. Nothing negative happens whenever he touches the ball."
Breaking records is no new feat for Kelley, as he broke several in high school. Kelley, who began playing football at age nine, currently holds the career record and single season record for rushing yards at Natick High in Natick, MA, totaling 3,000 career yards, and a high of 1,300 his senior year. Kelley was heavily recruited his senior year by schools such as Boston University, Northeastern University, and University of Rhode Island.
Although he was enticed by scholarship offers that were difficult to pass up, Kelley and his parents decided that he would benefit from another preparatory year. After completing a postgraduate year at Holderness Academy in New Hampshire, Kelley looked more closely at NESCAC colleges.
"When you grow up and realize that you aren't going to be a pro athlete, you see that other things are more important, like academics," Kelley said on his decision to attend Tufts over schools with more prestigious football programs. He also recognized that he would benefit from a smaller school, with a smaller football program, as he could earn playing time his freshman year.
Kelley's first season at Tufts was an impressive one, as he earned significant playing time on a team that went 7-1 on the season. Kelley was also a member of the baseball team that spring. However, due to academic ineligibility, the promising sophomore returned to Tufts in the fall of 1999 without football on his schedule.
"I missed it a lot my sophomore year," Kelley lamented. "I'd played football my whole life, and it was always such a big part of me... sitting out was really tough to take."
Unsure of whether or not he wanted to continue pursuing a degree at Tufts, Kelley decided to take a year off to decide if and where he would study the following year. He assumed a position at Dover-Sherborn Academy, where he worked and helped coach football and baseball. Fortunately for Samko and the Jumbos, Kelley decided last winter that he would return to Tufts in the fall, and would suit up for the 2001 season.
"He came right back in and didn't miss a beat, both in terms of football and in being a part of our class again," Waldron said.
The sociology major intends to play football again next season, where he is again expected to be a crucial part of the Jumbos' lineup. Kelley will not, however, play baseball this spring.
"I just enjoy football more," he explained. "I guess I'm better at to too...I really like the physical aspect of the sport - you can let all of your aggression out."
An individual season such as 2001 will be difficult for Kelley to match next fall; however, he does not feel overly pressured to turn in a repeat performance.
"As far as records go, I just want to be a part of a successful, winning season, and to get my degree," Kelley said. "If other things happen, then it's just an added bonus."
