Senior Spotlight: Matt Kelly
Hitting Lacrosse Head On
By Raj Sagar
With his junior year at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill., behind him, Matt Kelly had his sights set, as many Midwestern youth do, on one thing: playing college football. A big, bruising running back, the then 225-pound Kelly was beginning to the draw attention of numerous Big 10 schools, including Illinois, Indiana and Purdue. He was the type of runner who rarely avoided contact and, when given the option, would always try to run over a player rather than around him. To say Kelly’s physicality, tenacity and pure hustle have translated well to the lacrosse field would be an understatement as he has emerged as one of the best defenders in the nation.
“Football was always my favorite sport as a kid,” said Kelly. “I enjoyed the physical nature of the game, and even though I was known as a running back, I felt I was always able to dish out my share of hits. We played a gritty, smash-mouth style of football in high school, so it wasn’t uncommon for me to get between 30-35 carries a game. We were always looking to wear the defense down.”
Even during the prime recruiting period following his junior year, lacrosse was something that was simply in the background for Kelly. He was a devastating force on the football field, finishing his career at New Trier with school records in rushing (4,033 yards) and touchdowns (47). He only began playing lacrosse during his sophomore year, and it was an injury on the gridiron that turned him on to the game he excels at today.
“I dislocated my shoulder during my sophomore year playing football,” said Kelly. “Prior to that, the spring had always been baseball season, but since I couldn’t throw, I had to turn to another sport. I had some exposure to lacrosse because my brothers played, and at the time a lot of my friends played, so I thought I would give it a shot.”
As expected, Kelly’s athleticism and strength allowed him to be successful on the lacrosse field. He was an all-state selection his junior and senior seasons, and held the school record for ground balls by the end of his career.
In 2004, Kelly attended the Top 205 lacrosse camp and turned some heads with his standout play. So much so that he made the camp all-star team and immediately began receiving calls from lacrosse programs around the country. Although he came to the game relatively late, Kelly had fallen in love with the sport, and had begun giving serious consideration to the idea of playing collegiately.
“After hearing from Copach (Dom) Starsia, given the history of the program here coupled with the school itself, it was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up,” said Kelly. “It wasn’t where I had originally pictured myself by any means, but I have enjoyed every moment.”
After the sudden switch in sports, it seemed Kelly would surely need a year to adjust to the game of lacrosse at collegiate speed. However, just the opposite was the case as Kelly’s natural athleticism coupled with some added speed allowed him to start every game his first year, becoming the first freshman defenseman in school history to start 17 games. He was a key contributor on a team that reached the final four, and was named to the Inside Lacrosse All-Freshman Team.
“He was heck of a football player in high school, and a lot of that shows out here,” said Dom Starsia. “He’s a rough kid that really loves contact. I remember when (All-American defenseman) Ricky Smith was playing back there with him, and he would tell Matt to go just crush guys. Kelly, the obedient underclassman, never let his elder teammates down. He is one of the most physical defensemen I have been around.”
“Guys like (NFL linebacker) Ray Lewis were the ones I’ve always respected the most,” said Kelly. “They are pretty fearless and play with reckless abandon.”
Now in his final season, Kelly has proven not only that he is one of the best defensemen in the country, but also he is a certain brand of defender. He relishes the individual match-up, and subsequently has become the equivalent of a shutdown cornerback in football, or a lock-down defender in basketball; he takes the man he is covering almost completely out of the game.
“He definitely cherishes the opportunity to get matched up against the top attackmen,” said Starsia. ”We have no qualms with putting him on the best guys in the country. He has the ability to defend anyone in the country, and no matter who I put him on, you can be pretty sure Matt is going to take him out of the game.”
This fall he is expected to take his trademark physical playing style back to the gridiron as a member of Al Groh’s football Cavaliers. Back to where it all started, just for the chance to keep hitting a little bit longer.