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Kansas City will score with Kelly at controls

by John Hahn
November 28, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade


When hurricane Katrina turned into a category 3 just before sunset on Friday, August 26, and the Louisiana governor declared a state of emergency, many of the New Orleans residence decided to evacuate.

One included New Orleans VooDoo quarterback Andy Kelly. "I had an apartment and I grabbed enough clothes for a week," the 12-year veteran of the Arena Football League said.

Kelly got out of the city early Saturday and headed northeast to his hometown of Dayton, Tennessee, which is about 70 miles north of Chattanooga.

"I didn't expect to stay long at home," he said.

What Kelly and many others did not expect was the flooding after the destruction caused by Katrina. "Obviously, it changed my plans," he added, "I fully expected to stay in New Orleans, but now that has all changed."

Change it has. With damage to both the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena, both the New Orleans Saints and the VooDoo (both owned by Tom Benson) respectively, were out of business in the ‘Big Easy.'

HURRICANE SUSPENDS VOODOO OPERATION The NFL Saints moved their operation to San Antonio and have been playing the season in both the Texas city and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

So what was to happen to the 3rd-year AFL VooDoo? Benson and the front office decided to suspend operations of one of the most successful expansion teams in the 19-year history of Arena League. The VooDoo had played to nearly sellout crowds in the 16,000-seat arena for two seasons.

It was decided by the AFL to not let 17 of the players go into a dispersal draft but to take that core group, which included Kelly, and take them Kansas City where an organization had been vying for an AFL franchise for nearly two years.

As Wilber Harrison put it so eloquently in the 1959 song: "going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come."

And they did, becoming the Kansas City Brigade who will play in the old Kemper Arena until the new downtown arena, already named the Sprint Center, is completed in the fall of 2007.

Along with the 17 re-located players is Kelly, who is one of the finest quarterbacks to ever participate in the Arena Football League, which begins its 20th season in January.

Andy explained that he re-signed early with New Orleans and avoided free agency. "At the time, coach Mike Neu (now on the Saints' staff) showed more interest in me. I also was comfortable in New Orleans, especially after the team showed a commitment to me."

KELLY HAS PHENOMINAL 2005 SEASON Last season, at 36, Kelly had his best statistical season ever. He was first in the league in five of 10 passing categories and 2nd in two others. He was first in pass attempts (700), pass completions (466), passing touchdowns (96), total offensive plays (700) and total offensive TDs (96). His 4,657 yards was second only to San Jose's Mark Grieb and total offense was second.

Kelly's 291.1 passing yards per game was 3rd and he also ranked in the top ten of quarterbacks in pass percentage .666 and pass rating of 112.4.

All these numbers added to Kelly's league-record numbers. He is the AFL's all-time leader in passes attempted (5,371), passes completed (3,329), most yards (36,690) and is second in most TD passes (716), only nine behind the prolific Aaron Garcia of the New York Dragons.

Despite all the memorable numbers, the VooDoo failed to make the AFL playoffs after getting in the 2004 elite group. In 2005, New Orleans (9-7) put itself in a position for a playoff run starting the season 6-2 and defeating perennial playoff teams San Jose and Tampa Bay.

ANDY'S RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF Andy's record speaks for itself. In the 12 AFL seasons, he has led teams six times into the playoffs, including five of those with the Nashville Kats from 1997 to 2001. In 2000 and 2001, the Kats reached the championship - ArenaBowl - but lost at Orlando and Grand Rapids. He has a 5-5 record in playoff and championship contests, throwing for 50 touchdowns and a healthy 113.23 rating in those games.

Overall, Kelly has 82 league wins with five teams (five seasons in Nashville) but since 1997 has a 75-57 record

"Andy Kelly has played at a champion level his entire career in the Arena Football League," said Kansas City head coach Kevin Porter. "We are fortunate to open our franchise knowing that the critical position of quarterback is filled by such an outstanding and capable athlete."

For the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Kelly, his career began at the University of Tennessee. He led the Volunteers to wins in the Cotton and Sugar Bowls and another appearance in the Fiesta Bowl as a starter from 1989 to 1991. In that final year, he was named SEC Player of the Year.

The native of Dayton, Tennessee, participated in the camps of the Arizona Cardinals (1992) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1994). He played two seasons with the World League's Rein Fire (1995-96).

IN 1998, KELLY, KATS PLAYED IN KEMPER Kelly is not unfamiliar with Kansas City or Kemper Arena, where the Brigade will first play. "I remember playing the Florida Bobcats in the arena," he said, ‘and B.J. Cohen and I were back there when the team was introduced this year."

Before a crowd of 7,967 in Kemper, Andy led the Nashville Kats to a 35-23 halftime lead and then finished off the defunct Bobcats, 57-39, in a regular season AFL game on July 25, 1998. Kelly was 20 for 31 with 7 TDs, four of them in the first half.

"I enjoyed meeting the new ownership (in Kansas City)," Kelly said. "It seems like they are doing it (the franchise) the right way. Things will be first class."

Kelly said it was important keeping the team together. "This was my biggest worry," he said. We have a good group of linemen and I think B.J. (Cohen) is the best two-way lineman in the league. For the most part, they (the linemen) give me great protection and with B.J. I never worry."

The team did lose two excellent linemen to free agency, however, when Bruce McClure signed with the Georgia Force and Tim Martin went to the Grand Rapids Rampage in the off season.

But the team still has the book ends in Cohen (6-2, 280) and Aaron Hamilton (6-5, 280). They also picked up veteran center Fred Ray from Utah and signed another steady vet in Lucas Yarnell, who also can snap and play nose guard. The reserves vying for starting spots will be Michael Landry (6-3, 308), Abdul-Salam Noah (6-2, 280) and Brook Miller (6-4, 295) who were added late last season.

LINEMEN KEY TO KELLY SUCCESS "This group has been together and that is very important," Andy said. "The chemistry is very important and we communicate well."

As important are the linemen to holding off the opposition (and rushing the other quarterback), so are the receivers. This is an area hit hard by free agency, but Kelly said he's not concerned about that.

To replace Aaron Bailey (Grand Rapids), Thabiti Davis (Columbus) and Jaques Rumph, the Brigade signed veteran Charlie Davidson and have James Jordan, John Booth, Calvin Spears, Brian Poli-Dixon, Sam Simmons and returnee Lamont Moore (46 catches, 9 TD). Add veteran Steve Smith to the mix, whom they picked up from Philadelphia where he had 28 touchdown grabs, and you have a pretty formidable group to start with.

"You do lose some good players with free agency, but you can go out and get good players also," said Andy. "We have some young guys on the roster who will step up this year, so I'm not as worried about that."

Kelly said last year the quarterbacks and receivers worked out on their own in the off season and developed the timing and understanding it takes between the two positions. They won't have that luxury this year, but Kelly explained that a mini-camp is planned after Christmas and "that will introduce the new players to the system."

So what does this season mean for the veteran? "For me personally, the Arena Football League has kept me from getting a ‘real job' for a long time," Andy said with a laugh from his Tennessee home. "Hopefully I can continue as long as I can. The AFL has been very important to me.

"This is a great sport. I agree the fans have made it what it is because it is affordable and the players are very accessible. Kids really enjoy it."

WHAT'S IN FUTURE FOR VETERAN QB? Kelly said he takes the game a year at a time. "I think coaching is a possibility in the future. I feel very fortunate to play this game as long as I have. I want to play first and I am as excited as ever for the coming season. The fire is still there."

For Kansas City fans, Andy Kelly is a testament to the consummate professional. Get ready for Brigade wins...many with Kelly at the controls.

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John F. Hahn is a former executive in operations and communications with two teams in the AFL. His extensive knowledge of the league comes from 10 years of involvement in Arena football. He is a columnist for www.sanjosesabercats.com and is a contributor to the San Jose Mercury-News and OSC on the AFL.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from November 28, 2005


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