Time to begin the promised rundown of the top 66 players of the Ralph Friedgen era --- one for each victory since 2001.
And the last guy to make the cut probably comes as a surprise to those familiar with the first part of the player's career.
That would be Chris Kelley, who came in as a ballyhooed quarterback as part of what was to become Ron Vanderlinden's final recruiting class.
But Kelley tore an ACL before arriving at Maryland, and was badgered by more knee injuries throughout his career. He lost out to Scott McBrien for the quarterback job in 2002, and eventually switched to safety as a redshirt junior.
He then authored a superb senior season, rolling up 85 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception.
Then there were the 13.5 tackles for loss, the most for a defensive back in the last nine years:
MARYLAND SINGLE-SEASON TFL LEADERS, 2001-09
28: E.J. Henderson, 2001
19.5: E.J. Henderson, 2002
17: Shawne Merriman, 2004
14.5: Randy Starks, 2003
14: Mike Whaley, 2001
13.5: Chris Kelley, 2004
12.5: Randy Starks, 2002
12: Moise Fokou, 2008
11: Kevin Eli, 2003
11: Erin Henderson, 2007
10: Aaron Thompson, 2001
10: Wesley Jefferson, 2006
Kelley wound up an honorable mention all-conference player in 2004, and it's easy to wonder if playing on a 5-6 team hurt his chances of faring better in the voting. On the flip side, he probably had more opportunities to roll up numbers because of how little time the Terrapins' offense spent on the field that season.
All of that --- the single superb season at a relatively new position, the injuries, the expectations upon his arrival --- make it tough to assess Kelley's career. One excellent season as a starter, though, makes him an appropriate choice for this spot on the list.
Recent Comments