Reggie Kelly
Encyclopedia
Reginald Kuta Kelly is an American football
tight end
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Mississippi State
.
He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
.
. He played 44 times for his college and made 22 starts. He graduated with a degree in industrial technology.
in the second round (42nd overall) of the 1999 NFL draft
. He made his first NFL start versus the New Orleans Saints
on December 5. In his first season he played in every game.
In the 2000 season he started in every game and caught his first NFL touchdown pass versus the St.Louis Rams on September 24. He finished the season with 31 catches for 340 yards and two TD's. During the 2001 season he made 13 starts and finished the season with 16 catches for 142 yards. In the 2002 season he started every game in the regular season as Atlanta progressed to the Divisional playoffs. He finished the season with 14 catches for 162 yards.
as an unrestricted free agent. He played in 12 games making 13 catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
During the 2004 season he played in every game for the Bengals with 15 starts. He made 15 catches for 85 yards.
During a morning practice session on August 3, 2009, Kelly suffered a ruptured left Achilles'
tendon
. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve
two days later.
On May 13, 2010, Kelly signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals
. He's had seven years of experience under Bob Bratkowski
's offense, which he is set to use to mentor rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham
, and 2009 draft pick Chase Coffman
.
on August 16, 2011 after signing a contract with them. He is currently the number 2 tight end behind future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
.
He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
College career
Kelly attended Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. He played 44 times for his college and made 22 starts. He graduated with a degree in industrial technology.
Atlanta Falcons
Kelly was drafted by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round (42nd overall) of the 1999 NFL draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. He made his first NFL start versus the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on December 5. In his first season he played in every game.
In the 2000 season he started in every game and caught his first NFL touchdown pass versus the St.Louis Rams on September 24. He finished the season with 31 catches for 340 yards and two TD's. During the 2001 season he made 13 starts and finished the season with 16 catches for 142 yards. In the 2002 season he started every game in the regular season as Atlanta progressed to the Divisional playoffs. He finished the season with 14 catches for 162 yards.
Cincinnati Bengals
On March 13, 2003, Kelly signed with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
as an unrestricted free agent. He played in 12 games making 13 catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
During the 2004 season he played in every game for the Bengals with 15 starts. He made 15 catches for 85 yards.
During a morning practice session on August 3, 2009, Kelly suffered a ruptured left Achilles'
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
tendon
Achilles' heel
An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.- Origin :In Greek...
. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
two days later.
On May 13, 2010, Kelly signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. He's had seven years of experience under Bob Bratkowski
Bob Bratkowski
Robert "Bob" Bratkowski is the quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Bratkowski was formerly the Cincinnati Bengals Offensive CoordinatorFrom 1975-77, Bratkowski played wide receiver at Washington State...
's offense, which he is set to use to mentor rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Bengals with the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he had missed all of the previous season with a knee injury....
, and 2009 draft pick Chase Coffman
Chase Coffman
Chase Coffman is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Missouri.-Early years:Coffman played his high school football at...
.
Return to Atlanta
Kelly returned to the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 16, 2011 after signing a contract with them. He is currently the number 2 tight end behind future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez