Girard’s Kelly decides on Kansas

After focusing heavily on basketball for most of his high school career, Girard High School product Darian Kelly has elected to take his football game to the next level.
On Thursday, the incoming senior verbally committed to the University of Kansas to play free safety.
“It is close to home and close to my family,” Kelly said. “It is a nice college and I was impressed with what I saw and it just seemed right.”
Over the course of the last three years, Kelly has split time on the gridiron between the defensive backfield and running back for the Trojans.
“They asked which one I would rather do but I love playing defense,” Kelly said. “I may be a Aqib Talib and play both sides of the ball .. at least that is what they tell me.”
The concept of playing basketball was there up until the last minute but playing sports at the major college level was the deciding factor.
“The fact that I was not getting the scholarship offers and I wanted to play at a Big 12 school for basketball,” Kelly said. “All my looks were from mid-majors like the Missouri Valley and there is nothing wrong with that but I really wanted to play in the Big 12.”
Football was really not in the cards as far as college was concerned for Kelly.
“I never saw myself playing footbal in college but I am getting my schooling paid for and I might was well do something that I enjoy while going to school,” Kelly said.
During his sophomore season, Kelly was All-CNC as a defensive back and running back and was also All-State on defense.
His junior season was cut short because of a fibula break in the third game of the season against St. Mary’s-Colgan. He amassed approximately 400 yards rushing as a running back his junior year before the injury.
That injury did not seem to play a part with the coaching staff at KU.
“They acted like it was nothing and they didn’t seem to care,” Kelly said. “It was off my sophomore highlight film that they offered me the scholarship.”
He said that the coaching staff did watch him play in a basketball tournament earlier this year.
“It wasn’t football, but you could see the footwork and things like that,” Kelly said.
And there is little doubt in Kelly’s mind that he will be a Jayhawk after he completes his senior season at Girard.
“If they believe I can do it then I think I can go up there and do just fine,” Kelly said. “I don’t think they would waste their time trying to get me to sign if they didn’t think I could do it.”

Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140