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Former OU receiver Kelly angry at Sooner coach after today's workout
by: John E. Hoover, World Sports Writer
4/9/2008 12:00 AM
NORMAN -- Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly wasn't happy with his 40 times during his workouts for NFL scouts on Wednesday.
Afterwards, he wasn't happy with OU, specifically strength coach Jerry Schmidt.
Kelly ran with Reggie Smith, Marcus Walker and Joe Jon Finley inside OU's Everest Training Center, which has a soft FieldTurf-type surface. Kelly, who has been injured since the team's Fiesta Bowl practices in December, had been unable to run for scouts before Wednesday and has been training in Atlanta for three months on a shorter, firmer AstroTurf-type surface.
Kelly said he was assured by Schmidt that he would be allowed to run on OU's other indoor facility, the indoor track infield's AstroTurf.
Instead, Kelly ran on the softer turf and, although there was no official time, NFL.com is reporting Kelly's time as 4.68, said NFL.com writer Gil Brandt. Another independent watch had Kelly at 4.68, but a random check of various teams' scouting sheets showed Kelly's best time ranging from 4.49 to 4.81.
Afterwards, Kelly complained loudly about his situation and was later seen arguing with Schmidt, pointing his finger, waving his hands and even twice throwing shoes he held in his hands. They finished their conversation behind closed doors and Kelly said ''we settled it,'' but he was still visibly upset.
Kelly said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February that he was told if he could run 4.55 or faster at OU, he could be a top-15 pick in the NFL Draft on April 26. Now, he acknowledged that some teams might be scared off by his slow times.
Kelly said he recently ran 4.50 and 4.47 on a firmer surface in Atlanta.
In football terms, the difference in Kelly's times in Atlanta and his times in Norman is vast. In regards to whether Kelly is drafted in the middle of the first round or the end of the first round, the difference could mean millions of dollars in a contract or a signing bonus.
''This is my life. You know what I'm saying?'' Kelly said. ''This ain't no school. This ain't no classroom. This ain't got nothing to do with that. This has to do with me; my family. This is what I do. I play football. And I'm supposed to come out here and run as fast as I can. I already had everything set up for where I want to do it at. I get out here and it's a whole different deal.''
Kelly said he'd researched the results of past wide receivers like Mike Williams, Larry Fitzgerald and Braylon Edwards and found that many ran for scouts either on AstroTurf or a track.
Schmidt said scouts will add .1 to .15 seconds to a 40 time, depending on the team, if they perceive a track to be too fast.
But Kelly said he had been told more than once by scouts that they wouldn't be adding time regardless of the surface.
''So that's what I get listening to everybody else,'' he said.
Schmidt said he understood Kelly's frustration because he's been injured for so long. But Schmidt also said NFL scouts preferred Kelly run on the softer surface because ''this is the surface that they run on.
''I told Malcolm it's up to him, wherever he wants to run.''
''That's true,'' Kelly said, ''it was already settled we were going to run on that AstroTurf stuff. But as soon as we walk in here this morning, the cones are set up to run the 40 in here.''
Kelly didn't save all his displeasure for Schmidt, either. He also had some pointed words for the OU medical staff about his Fiesta Bowl injury, which was first reported on the day of the game as a pulled thigh muscle but was later determined to be a tear. Kelly practiced sparingly leading up to the game, then played just one series.
''At the bowl game, people were questioning was I trying to not play so I could leave early for the draft and all that kind of stuff,'' Kelly said. ''I was told by the staff I had a thigh bruise. I told them it felt a lot worse than that. 'No, it's not that bad; go out there and run; it's not a thigh tear, it's just a thigh bruise.' Kept trying to run; never did get any better. Didn't play in the game, so I finally went out there training and it never got any better. I went and got an MRI and I've got a thigh tear.
''So what if I would he went out there and tried to play in the bowl game and went out there and tried to run full speed? Then where would I be right now? Nowhere. Sitting at home, still rehabbing. Back here for another season. You know what I'm saying?
''People say to always trust in what they're saying, they're not going to steer you wrong. But. . . .''
Asked if he felt let down by OU, he said, ''I wouldn't say the whole coaching staff, but certain people, yeah. . . . And they know who they are.''
Kelly is a junior from Longview, Texas, who declared himself eligible for the draft after three years as one of the Sooners' most prolific wideouts. He's rated by many draft services as the top wideout in the draft.
''You play somewhere for three years, you give 'em all you got, every summer, every winter, and all you ask for is an hour and a half to have it like you want to have it. And people got a problem with it.''
by: John E. Hoover, World Sports Writer
4/9/2008 12:00 AM
NORMAN -- Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly wasn't happy with his 40 times during his workouts for NFL scouts on Wednesday.
Afterwards, he wasn't happy with OU, specifically strength coach Jerry Schmidt.
Kelly ran with Reggie Smith, Marcus Walker and Joe Jon Finley inside OU's Everest Training Center, which has a soft FieldTurf-type surface. Kelly, who has been injured since the team's Fiesta Bowl practices in December, had been unable to run for scouts before Wednesday and has been training in Atlanta for three months on a shorter, firmer AstroTurf-type surface.
Kelly said he was assured by Schmidt that he would be allowed to run on OU's other indoor facility, the indoor track infield's AstroTurf.
Instead, Kelly ran on the softer turf and, although there was no official time, NFL.com is reporting Kelly's time as 4.68, said NFL.com writer Gil Brandt. Another independent watch had Kelly at 4.68, but a random check of various teams' scouting sheets showed Kelly's best time ranging from 4.49 to 4.81.
Afterwards, Kelly complained loudly about his situation and was later seen arguing with Schmidt, pointing his finger, waving his hands and even twice throwing shoes he held in his hands. They finished their conversation behind closed doors and Kelly said ''we settled it,'' but he was still visibly upset.
Kelly said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February that he was told if he could run 4.55 or faster at OU, he could be a top-15 pick in the NFL Draft on April 26. Now, he acknowledged that some teams might be scared off by his slow times.
Kelly said he recently ran 4.50 and 4.47 on a firmer surface in Atlanta.
In football terms, the difference in Kelly's times in Atlanta and his times in Norman is vast. In regards to whether Kelly is drafted in the middle of the first round or the end of the first round, the difference could mean millions of dollars in a contract or a signing bonus.
''This is my life. You know what I'm saying?'' Kelly said. ''This ain't no school. This ain't no classroom. This ain't got nothing to do with that. This has to do with me; my family. This is what I do. I play football. And I'm supposed to come out here and run as fast as I can. I already had everything set up for where I want to do it at. I get out here and it's a whole different deal.''
Kelly said he'd researched the results of past wide receivers like Mike Williams, Larry Fitzgerald and Braylon Edwards and found that many ran for scouts either on AstroTurf or a track.
Schmidt said scouts will add .1 to .15 seconds to a 40 time, depending on the team, if they perceive a track to be too fast.
But Kelly said he had been told more than once by scouts that they wouldn't be adding time regardless of the surface.
''So that's what I get listening to everybody else,'' he said.
Schmidt said he understood Kelly's frustration because he's been injured for so long. But Schmidt also said NFL scouts preferred Kelly run on the softer surface because ''this is the surface that they run on.
''I told Malcolm it's up to him, wherever he wants to run.''
''That's true,'' Kelly said, ''it was already settled we were going to run on that AstroTurf stuff. But as soon as we walk in here this morning, the cones are set up to run the 40 in here.''
Kelly didn't save all his displeasure for Schmidt, either. He also had some pointed words for the OU medical staff about his Fiesta Bowl injury, which was first reported on the day of the game as a pulled thigh muscle but was later determined to be a tear. Kelly practiced sparingly leading up to the game, then played just one series.
''At the bowl game, people were questioning was I trying to not play so I could leave early for the draft and all that kind of stuff,'' Kelly said. ''I was told by the staff I had a thigh bruise. I told them it felt a lot worse than that. 'No, it's not that bad; go out there and run; it's not a thigh tear, it's just a thigh bruise.' Kept trying to run; never did get any better. Didn't play in the game, so I finally went out there training and it never got any better. I went and got an MRI and I've got a thigh tear.
''So what if I would he went out there and tried to play in the bowl game and went out there and tried to run full speed? Then where would I be right now? Nowhere. Sitting at home, still rehabbing. Back here for another season. You know what I'm saying?
''People say to always trust in what they're saying, they're not going to steer you wrong. But. . . .''
Asked if he felt let down by OU, he said, ''I wouldn't say the whole coaching staff, but certain people, yeah. . . . And they know who they are.''
Kelly is a junior from Longview, Texas, who declared himself eligible for the draft after three years as one of the Sooners' most prolific wideouts. He's rated by many draft services as the top wideout in the draft.
''You play somewhere for three years, you give 'em all you got, every summer, every winter, and all you ask for is an hour and a half to have it like you want to have it. And people got a problem with it.''
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