Former Mississippi State and current Cincinnati Bengals tight end Reggie Kelly will make a stop in Greenwood Saturday while on a tour promoting his book and his tailgating food line.
Kelly, 34, who played at MSU from 1995-1998 before being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round in 1999, will be at Market Place from 10-11:30 a.m. to sign copies of his book "Prepared: Body - Mind - Spirit: Using the Gridiron's Boundaries To Reach Your Limitless Potential" and offering samples of his food products.
While in Starkville, the Aberdeen High School product played on an SEC Western Division championship team under Jackie Sherrill.
In his 12-year NFL career, the 6-foot-4, 257-pounder has caught 194 passes for 1,760 yards and five touchdowns.
In August 2009, the former Bulldog ruptured his Achilles tendon in practice. That type of injury can often be a career-ending one, and many wondered if it would be the end to Kelly's time in the NFL.
"No one expected the old goat to come back," Kelly said on his website www.reggiekelly82.com. "I talked to my wife and we prayed. I put my trust in God and knew that it was His will that would determine whether or not I would be back in the game.
"My faith allowed me to have peace of mind with the uncertainty of the outcome, but physically I had a lot of work to do. I had to make sure my body, mind and spirit where prepared for whatever God had planned."
Reggie believes his injury created an opportunity for him to be an example to younger players on how to handle adversity. And that led to him writing a book.
"The book is my story and is filled with examples of how I handled different situations, including the mistakes I made and lessons I learned," Kelly said. "I realized a long time ago that life is not about Reggie Kelly as an individual, and when I finally stopped worrying about me and focused on God and helping people, I felt complete."
Pillow Academy head football coach Michael Fair, a former Bulldog teammate of Kelly's, hopes to visit with Kelly Saturday.
"Our lockers were right next to each other for two years. His last two years at State were my first two. You always knew where you stood with Reggie. You could tell he was a spiritual guy, and that was a good influence on me as a young player," Fair said.
"He was a genuine great guy, not to mention one heck of a player for us and then in the NFL."
After missing the 2009 season, Kelly returned to the Bengals in 2010 and had 10 catches for 42 yards. Kelly says he feels better then ever and is ready, whenever the NFL lockout ends, to play his 13th season in the NFL.
• Contact Bill Burrus at bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
