Kiael Kelly emerged from Ball State’s locker room with a bright, white smile. Just about 15 minutes earlier, the Cardinals defeated Northern Illinois on a last-second, 52-yard field goal to retain the Bronze Stalk trophy.
Kelly had just finished loudly celebrating the win with his teammates, but he was his normal, calm self when he greeted three family members visiting from the family’s hometown of Tampa, Florida. He hugged his mother, Jaclyn, he did the same to his cousin, Nia.
Then he set his gaze on his younger brother, Jai, who quickly asked Kiael for his game-worn helmet he carried in his hands. Kiael obliged, handing him the helmet, which loosely engulfed Kai’s much smaller head.
Jai wandered around the south end of Scheumann Stadium as Kiael spoke with Jaclyn, Nia, friends and teammates. The 10-year-old was never willing to part with his big brother’s helmet, but it wasn’t the only thing Kai wore that identified him as someone close to Kiael.
Jai’s red Ball State shirt had the typical Charlie Cardinal logo on the front, but on the back it read, “Kelly Krewe.” Kiael’s younger brother was one of many young children wearing “Kelly Krewe” shirts at Ball State’s homecoming contest against Northern Illinois, all sponsored by Kiael himself.
When reflecting on the numerous kids he spotted with his last name on their backs, the redshirt junior called the sight “a dream come true.”
“That was probably me when I was younger,” Kiael said. “I never had the opportunity to be around a football team like this. At a young age like that, that's probably something they will never forget.”
Jaclyn said Kiael’s support of local youth is nothing new, remembering her middle child’s insistence to volunteer at a Tampa children’s hospital while he was in high school. Her smile was just as big as Kiael’s when she saw him joking around with Jai minutes after putting his body on the line all in pursuit of the momentary, yet memorable, bliss that comes with a victory.
“It's breathtaking to see him in his element, smiling and full of life,” Jaclyn said. “That's who he is.”
Despite a seemingly constant state of satisfaction, Kiael’s past seven months have not been all positive.
Between five combined rushing and passing attempts against Northern Illinois, Kelly finished with 25 yards, his second-most of the season. This came less than a year after Kelly was named Ball State’s QB1 for the second half of the 2023 campaign.
Kelly led the Cardinals to a 3-3 record during his time as a starter, whereas Ball State was 1-5 beforehand. His offseason saga was hard to keep track of, first entering the transfer portal in April and taking unofficial visits with programs like Florida A&M, then deciding to stay in Muncie after all a month later.
This decision was under the assumption that he would be still competing to be the Cardinals’ starting quarterback. However, Kelly was moved to defensive back, a position he had never played before, during summer training camp.
“He embodies handling adversity,” junior tight end Tanner Koziol said. “It's one thing to go from offense to defense and turning the game completely around, but it's [another] to go from quarterback to any other position.”
Head coach Mike Neu, defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles and even Kelly himself all declared excitement about Kelly’s new venture too, citing the Floridian’s long arms and “explosive” athleticism as reasons why he could adjust to a completely different side of the ball.
Neu even hinted at Kelly taking reps as Ball State’s kick returner during the preseason.
Once the season began, Kelly never played a snap at defensive back or kick returner. He did, however, enter every game as a wide receiver, running back or even quarterback for limited snaps.
Most of the time, Kelly was used as part of a trick play that didn’t result in much of anything. His season-long gain through the first five games was a 24-yard rush.
Prior to Ball State’s sixth game of the season against Kent State, Kelly’s position once again changed from defensive back to wide receiver. In the three games since, Kelly has been used 12 times for 56 yards and a touchdown.
He has just 64 net yards on 33 attempts between passing, rushing and receiving through eight games.
“You just gotta keep going no matter what's thrown at you,” Kiael said. “Nothing’s gonna be perfect, but if you know who you are and you know what the end goal is, nothing’s gonna waver you.”
Jaclyn admitted to feeling frustrated during her son’s reduction in playing time, but she said her faith in God and Kiael’s reassuring optimism has kept her from worrying too much.
“I'm human, and sometimes reading different things from people on the outside not truly knowing what's going on, it can be disheartening,” Jaclyn said. “ … He’s shown me that he has grown as a man.”
Amongst the whirlwind seven months Kiael has gone through, a period of time that included three position changes, Kiael has continued to keep his off-the-field focus on being a role model. Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Jared Elliott has experienced Kiael’s heart for children firsthand through constant interactions with his son, Austin. After nearly every practice for the past three seasons, Kiael has played catch with Jared’s five-year-old.
Jared has seen many other Cardinals interact with his four children, but he believes Kiael’s bond with Austin is different. In fact, he knew the relationship was special when Austin recently started playing flag football.
“My son thinks he is the greatest thing in the world,” Jared said. “It’s always, ‘Dad, I scored that touchdown like Kiael did!’”
The third-year Ball State football staff member acknowledged the tough hand Kiael has been dealt this season, but Jared’s already foundational respect for Kiael has grown even more through watching him handle the tricky saga with the same consistent attitude as he did during his time as QB1.
So whether he is a wide receiver, running back, defensive back or quarterback, Kiael will continue to play catch with Austin. And he’ll continue to lead the “Kelly Krewe.”
“It’s showing them that I'm not a superhero or anything,” Kiael said. “They can talk to me. I'm human, just like them.”
Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.
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