Asked how he went from playing football for UH to being a goalkeeper for Cal Baptist, Dan Kelly said:
"Me going to play football in the first place was kind of a fallback. I injured my ankle in my senior year of my high school career. I wasn't able to play soccer and kind of fell off the map, so I kind of fell into football. Basically I just used that to get my education. Hawaii just fell into my lap, (because of) the previous players that played for my high school, Linfield Christian in Temecula.
After four years the issue became, 'What do I want? Do I want to go play pro? Do I want to take my shot at that?' But what it came down to basically was, my mom (Ann) was diagnosed a few years ago with MS, multiple sclerosis, and I just wanted to be at home.
So after my fourth season, I decided to leave and come home. I picked up a couple coaching jobs down in Temecula, and through those coaching jobs another coach, Sean Bowers, who used to coach here on the women's side, said, 'Are you looking to play again?' I said I'd love to, but I don't know if I have any eligibility left. He said, 'In NAIA, I think you do. I think you ought to be able to play two more seasons.'
So he talked to coach (Ryan) Jorden, and coach Jorden then contacted me and I came out here and found out that I had three more semesters of eligibility (to) play two more seasons. Really, it's just a chance to play my first love again." (RPE)
About how his teammates teased him him for not being a football player, Kelly said:
"I always got razzed on my football team for not being a `football player.' I was fine with that. I met some very, very, very, very, very amazing people when I was over there -- on the football field, off the football field. But overall I wasn't into the lifestyle. I didn't like being involved in only one-third of the game, the special teams plays. I didn't enjoy sitting on the bench most of the time. Even though I was a starter, I sat on the bench more than anyone else, just because that's my position. I didn't like not being involved." (RPE)
Unhappy with how UH coaches treated their football players, especially allowing injured players get damaged in the long run in order to get back on the field, Kelly said:
"The camaraderie was there, but I didn't like the way you were treated as a football player, between the coaches and the players. I didn't like the way they would run you into the ground. They cared about you, but they would let you play hurt, in a way that would damage you in the long run instead of thinking about you in the short term. And that kind of irritated me a little." (RPE)
About how he did *not* get along with the UH coaching staff during his senior year (after Mac took over), Kelly said:
"I'm not saying all football players are like that, but I got into a very bad situation my senior year with the new coaching staff. Let's just say, diplomatically, we didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. So when I got the chance to jump back at my original love, my first love, soccer, I jumped at it with both feet. I'm blessed to be here." (RPE)
About how football took a toll on his body and spirit, Kelly said:
"It took a toll on my body, but more, it took a toll on my spirit. I didn't want to train every day. I didn't look forward to getting up and training." (RPE)
About how he loves playing soccer much more than he loved playing football, Kelly said:
"Everyone's asking me what's the big difference. The difference is, I enjoy my hour commute here to play soccer more than I looked forward to making the five-minute walk from my dorm down to the football locker rooms. I've been doing this for over a month now, this commute back and forth, and I've never woke up wishing I did not have to go to school today. And that's not a line. It's not something I'm making up ... No kid ever wants to go to school. But I look forward to my opportunity to play soccer. I enjoy it. And the coaching staff and the players here have really made it a point to be enjoyable." (RPE)
About how he likes every player on his soccer team, unlike how there were cliques and bad blood between football players at UH, Kelly said:
"This is the first team I've ever been on in any sport where I've actually liked every single player on the team. I don't have bad blood (with) any of them. It's a real weird situation, that I came in thinking, 'OK, there's gonna be cliques, and I'll have to find my own way, just like football.' I came with a football mentality, just because that's how I was basically raised the last four years. And everyone was just open arms and real supportive of my decision to come in, and super nice. I haven't had a problem with anyone yet." (RPE)
Asked if he was worried that his soccer teammates would be wondering why a big-time football player would be joining them, Kelly said talked more about the difficulty he had at UH:
"No, because ... I don't think there's a better way my dad could have raised me, or my coaches that I've had prepare me for what I was going to go through in football, as well as soccer. The transition from Hawaii to here was extremely easy. Dealing with the ridicule of being a collegiate kicker, and dealing with that kind of pressure and just being a kicker in general - it comes with some bumps and bruises. You're going to get ragged on. You're going to get teased. You're
going to basically get harped on for being a kicker and not being a real football player because you only kick the football.
For me, it's never bothered me because I always relied on one thing: am I doing my job? And that was the only thing. I need to do my job. If you want to make fun of me, that's fine. My self-esteem is really not going to be affected by that kind of stuff.The kind of ridicule you go through in life as a Christian, and as an athlete, I mean, it's basically the same.
I mean, I've gone to Alabama. I've played at Alabama. I've heard beautiful Southern belles call me very derogatory words, just because I was wearing my 'H'. And I've been to the Swamp. I've been to football's heart, with Tim Tebow. I've played against him. I played Reggie Bush. I played Matt Leinart. All those things never fazed me. And the crowds never fazed me. I didn't mind it. The only thing I cared about was, did I do my job the best I could that day? That's
just the way I've lived my life.
And that's why a lot of people don't understand me when I get scored on. I don't show emotion. There's no reason to. What's the point of being mad that you missed a field goal or let a goal in? There's no reason. You move on. We used to say in football, it's one snap and clear. You play a play and forget about it. That's it. The only time you need to remember about that play is a few days later when you watch it on film. That's the only time you really have to know what happened.
For me, especially as a kicker and a goalkeeper, if you make a mistake it's magnified. Because you are the last line of defense. You miss a tackle, there's 10 other guys to help out. I miss a field goal, it's only on me. No one else gets the stat. There's no stat for missed tackles. There's a stat for missed field goals, though." (RPE)
About how kickers have a lot of time to think about past mistakes, instead of being able to make another play right away as a goalie, Kelly said:
"Right. Plenty of time to think about it. And you know what? It's funny. I've never been one to be known as a thinker ... It is what it is. There's no changing the stat sheet. And that's one thing I'm kind of blessed (about). I went and played football for four years and now I'm coming as a junior - a super, super junior, as I like to say - with the knowledge I'm a 23 year old, and someone who's been around collegiate sports at, and this is no offense to the NAIA, a much more
business-driven sport than soccer. You're just holding a beast. And I'm coming with the understanding that pressure comes with the job, and if you can't do it, then leave. If you can do it, it's good for you.
I'm enjoying it." (RPE)
http://blogs.pe.com/collegesports/2009/09/dan-kelly-football-took-toll-o.html
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