when we visited, he said, ‘Yeah, this is the place for you.’” Kelly returned to Baltimore as a college player for the first time on a balmy late February afternoon, when North Carolina played at Johns Hopkins. There was no shortage of Kellys in attendance, and David Kelly seemed to know everyone who passed through the turnstiles at Homewood Field.
David Kelly was determined not to force a choice on Timmy. Of course, there are subtle, sometimes unexpected ways to arrive at an outcome. “It was hard not to meddle,” he said. “My wife, who also went to Carolina, was trying not to meddle at all. So she says to Timmy one day, ‘Well, if you go to Hopkins, that’ll be great. I can come see you all the time.’ And [he] was like, ‘OK, I’m not going there.’” Timmy Kelly could prove a crucial addition for the Tar Heels, especially this year as they seek out a new offensive identity after the graduation of Jimmy Bitter, Joey Sankey and Chad Tutton. Kelly spent much of his summer working on his shooting with
Calvert Hall offensive coordinator Torre Kasemeyer, who has also helped refine the games of players like Johns Hopkins’ Ryan Brown and Duke’s Deemer Class. He also tried out and qualified for the 2016 U.S. U19 team that will defend its gold medal this summer in Coquitlam, British Columbia. (Stephen Kelly played on the 2012 team.) It was apparent soon enough to Breschi that he had a player every bit as promising as he hoped. “He’s a guy that many times we looked at each other coming out of fall practice and the preseason and said, ‘Wow,’” Breschi said. “There’s a wow factor. His work ethic drives him to be who he is. He’s relentless. He’s going to work his tail off and do everything he can for the team.”
That includes playing where needed as North Carolina sorts out
its offensive personnel. A natural attackman, Kelly could easily end up there by the time his career wraps up. But for now, the Tar Heels need extra help in the midfield.
Kelly made an immediate impact, scoring twice in his college debut against Michigan. “He’s going to be a terrific
David Kelly
A 1989 UNC graduate who played on the Tar Heels’ 1986 NCAA title team.
SONS David Kelly (Rutgers):
The oldest sibling was a defenseman for the Scarlet Knights. Patrick Kelly (North Carolina): Converted attackman is in his second year as a starting midfielder. Timmy Kelly (North Carolina): U.S. U19 team member immediately slid into the starting lineup as a freshman.
Bryan
Kelly Won NCAA title with North Carolina as a senior in 1991 and now is the coach at Calvert Hall (Md.).
SON
Jacob Kelly (committed to North Carolina): The Calvert Hall attackman is part of the Tar Heels’ 2018 recruiting class.
Timmy Kelly, an attackman for the U.S. U19 team that will defend its gold medal this summer, plays alongside his brother, Patrick, on North Carolina’s first midfield.
player,” Breschi said. “He has tremendous potential to be an All-American and a leader of our team. He’s got all the skills and all the makings of just an extremely high-level player and potentially one of the best attackmen that has played at Carolina.”
That could come in time, but this year provides a particularly special benefit. It’s the only season he and his older brother will share in college; the pair grew up playing rec council lacrosse and were teammates
for a year at Calvert Hall. It certainly created an unforgettable family moment when both were introduced as starters before the Tar Heels’ opener. “It fell into place, and it felt natural,” Timmy Kelly said of playing alongside his brother. “It didn’t seem like ‘Wow.’ Instead, it was ‘This is normal. This is what it should be.’”
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Support the U.S. U19 team at
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The same could be said of a Kelly embracing the family tradition and donning the Carolina blue. “He wanted to be different from his brothers,” David Kelly said. “But in the end, it all worked out.”
April 2016 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 41
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