70 Days: Ryan Kelly
By Kerry Goode
By Kerry Goode
70. Seven Zero
Guys that lead the way....Joe Beazley, Gary Otten,Terrill "Big Chat" Chatman, Jason McDonald, Wesley Britt and Cecil Dowdy.
I must give honor to Cecil Dowdy...a man with the looks of a Hollywood movie star. He played offensive tackle for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide from 1964 through 1966. He was a member of both the 1964 and 1965 national championship teams. Dowdy was also a unanimous College Football All-American. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns and also played for the Los Angeles Rams.
But today we salute Ryan Kelly... For his excellence, Ryan Kelly was deservedly named First-Team All-SEC, First-Team All-American, an Outland Trophy semifinalist, and won the position's highest honor -- the Rimington Trophy given to the best center in the game.
Ryan was drafted in the first round of this years draft. The Indianapolis Colts picked Kelly with the 18th overall pick in the draft. He became the 18th Alabama player drafted in the first round since 2008, the most of any school in that stretch. It also marked the eighth straight year an Alabama player was taken in the first round, the longest current streak in the nation.
Kelly need not rely on the NFL, though. He is a semifinalist for the Campbell Award, which recognizes outstanding athleticism, community service and academic accomplishments. He was also named the 2015 SEC Football Scholar-Athlete of the year. And, this past December, Ryan Kelly picked up his Masters from the University of Alabama. Roll Tide