Newark Catholic's Rob Kelly: Game of football is too violent to play

Rob Kelly's 5-year-old son will never play a down of football in his life.

And if Kelly could go back, neither would he because of the life-altering brain damage the sport can cause.

Rob Kelly, a 1992 Newark Catholic graduate who went on to star at Ohio State and play professionally, has been dealing with the effects of serious head injuries suffered during his football career for the past several years. His wife, Emily, recently detailed Rob's struggles in a column for the New York Times.

More: Emily Kelly: I’m the Wife of a Former N.F.L. Player. Football Destroyed His Mind.

Rob and Emily spoke with The Advocate Thursday about his health and his thoughts on football. The couple and their children live in Colorado.

"We all know now that it’s not the concussions, it’s not always the big hits. It’s just the game in general is too violent," Rob Kelly said. "There’s no more protection that you can add that’s going to protect the players."

Rob Kelly said his son will "absolutely never" play football.

"My son just walked in the room and I look at him and I think putting him into football. I mean absolutely not.

"I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve gone through," he said.

More: Kelly family speaks out on damage from Newark Catholic legend's playing career

Emily Kelly's column explained Rob Kelly suffers from mood swings and battles depression. At certain low points, he would stop eating for days. He weighed 157 in 2016. He once went two months rarely speaking.

The Kellys said Rob Kelly is undergoing treatment and has improved. He has gained weight back, but it takes a great deal of energy for them to do even every day tasks, Emily Kelly said, such as picking up their daughter from school.

"You have to fight it and you can’t give up hope," Emily Kelly said.

Rob Kelly said throughout the day he has to monitor himself to keep his emotions in check, and it's exhausting.

"I’m making little steps to deal with this," he said. "I know to most people this sounds crazy, like no big deal, but it’s a huge deal."

Rob Kelly said in his lowest moments, he would question his purpose in life.

"Even with an amazing family … things are going well other than the fact in my head I couldn’t piece that together and have one good day," he said.

Through tears, Rob Kelly said, he hopes coming forward will help other men who are experiencing similar symptoms.

“I’ve sat there for a long time and thought … ‘Am I crazy? Am I the only one that’s constantly washing the dishes?" he said. “I know now that there are a lot of guys like me. I’m not alone."

Rob Kelly led NC to the Division V state football title in 1991. He played in the playoffs despite a serious knee injury and ran for 154 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 victory against Bluffton in the state final.

Rob Kelly then became a starting safety for Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl victory his senior season. He played four seasons for the New Orleans Saints and one with the New England Patriots before a nerve injury ended his career.

But after a playing career that lasted almost two decades, Rob Kelly said he no longer watches the sport.

"This last year was the first year I didn’t watch one football game at all. I didn’t watch one Ohio State game," he said. "I only knew at the end of the season because my brother slipped up and told me like how their season went."

It's not that he doesn't care, Rob Kelly said, it's that he had to remove himself from football.

Emily Kelly said he doesn't want to watch the very actions that caused his injuries.

"I can’t see those big hits anymore because I think of … not only the dude, the player, I think about his future, I think about his wife, I think about his children, I think about … what my parents have been through," Rob Kelly said.

Since the column was published Feb. 2, Rob Kelly said his family has heard from friends, former teammates and people from Newark Catholic who have offered support. But he said he has not heard from Ohio State or the National Football League.

"It’s a little upsetting,” Emily Kelly said about Ohio State specifically. "You’d think they would reach out. You’d think they would have (said) ‘What can we do? How can we help?"

Rob Kelly said he doesn't want to point fingers at any one person or group.

"We’re not trying to point the blame at anybody other than to say this isn’t a safe sport to play from when you’re 8 years old," he said.

Are there any ways to make the game safer?

"Stop playing," Rob Kelly said.

More: Football coaches attempt to stay ahead of safety curve

Emily Kelly said people have said he knew this was a risk when he played, but he isn't the only one impacted by the damage his brain has suffered.

"It doesn’t just affect the person, it affects the family. I had no idea about any kind of brain disease," she said.

When a person has suffered the way Rob Kelly has and the way their family has, Emily Kelly said obviously they are going to think it's an unsafe sport to play.

"That’s our personal feeling and people can choose what they want," she said. "We’re not going to judge anybody."

Rob Kelly said he wants people to know he is all right. And even though the moments Emily Kelly wrote about were rough periods, he is improving every day.

"There are more brighter days," he said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13



