BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns are hoping that Leroy Kelly Jr. is a chip off the old block. Even a tiny chip would do.

The old block, of course, is Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly, who starred for the Browns from 1964-73 and was enshrined in 1994. Kelly Jr., 27, is an NFL hopeful at safety and returner who will get a tryout with the Browns on Monday, he told The Plain Dealer Wednesday. If they like him, he could stick around for the minicamp June 5-7.

"I'm very, very excited,'' said Kelly Jr. "Especially because it's the Cleveland Browns. It would mean a lot to me if they kept me around, and it would definitely mean a lot to my dad.''

How much would it mean to Kelly Sr., a six-time Pro Bowler? "If they brought me into training camp, he'd probably do a back a flip at the age of 72,'' said Kelly Jr. "He's keeping his composure, but I know he's very excited.''

Indeed, he is.

"It's really nice of them to take a look at him,'' Kelly Sr. said. "It's exciting for me, but more exciting for him. I'd love to see him get an opportunity. Even if he stayed around on the practice team, that would be nice. I'll always be a Browns fan. I follow them on the Internet.''

Kelly Jr., 5-11, 207, started his college ball at his dad's alma mater, Morgan State, but then transferred to Wilmington College of Ohio, where he played defensive back and running back. He played in the Arena League for three seasons and one year overseas in the German Football League, where his team lost last year in the championship game.

He had a previous tryout with the Browns in 2008. He also had a workout with the Lions last year, but they opted for a safety who had played for them before.

"I recently got the call from the Browns that they wanted to bring me in for a closer look,'' he said. "I'm not sure what position they have in mind. I can play safety, I can play running back and I can return kicks. If they want me to run to the light post and back, I'll do that. Anything they want.''

Kelly Jr., who said he runs a speedy 4.38 in the 40, has been a diehard fan since he was a little boy, watching films of his dad plow through defenders.

"From the moment I watched those films, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life,'' he said.

One of four children, Kelly Jr. often wonders how his dad knew to make him his namesake. His older brother, David, is a sportscaster in Arizona who used to work in Cleveland, and his younger brother, William, is more into baseball, hoping for a tryout soon with the Phillies.

"I've always wanted to ask my dad, was it like the Lion King? Did you hold me up to the light and say, 'this is the one?'' Kelly Jr. laughed.

Kelly Jr. will never forget the first time he met the great Jim Brown, his dad's fellow Hall of Famer back. He was just a young boy of about nine at the time.

"I said, 'Mr. Brown, I am going to break all of your records someday,'' recalls Kelly Jr. "He just looked down at me and smiled and said, 'okay, son.''

Being the son of a Hall of Famer was both a blessing and a curse. "Those are some big shoes to fill,'' said Kelly Jr. "Some really big shoes. You grow up trying to fill those shoes and if you can't fill them, you hope you can at least walk side-by-side with them and be guided along the way.''

For Kelly Jr., the joys of growing up the son of a Hall of Famer far outweighed the pressures, even when he was giving it a go at Morgan State.

"It's not every day you get to have a legend living in your house,'' he said. "At times it hasn't been easy. People expect you to be just like him, and sometimes they're disappointed if you're not. But if I had a question, all I had to do was turn to him and say, 'in this situation, should I take two steps to the right and then juke back to the left?' I got to experience a little bit of everything.''

Kelly Jr. grew up with several godfathers from the Browns, including former defensive backs Ben Davis and Erich Barnes. He became close over the years with other Hall of Famers such as Paul Warfield and leaned on him for advice. It's been a life of golden jackets, bronze busts and colorful stories.

"I went to my dad's Hall of Fame induction in 1994 and I went back every year after that for about five years,'' he said. "As a young boy, you know it's something big, but as you get older, it's something you really cherish. I loved meeting all the Hall of Famers and talking to them. I have such great memories.''

There's still one tape of his dad that he loves to pop in from time to time. It was a game in the pouring rain and Kelly seemed to get faster as the ground got soggier.

"He was known for that and you can see why,'' said Kelly Jr. "I used to turn on the hose in the backyard and then try to run on the wet ground, just like he did.''

When the Browns first called Kelly Jr. in 2008 for the tryout, it was 7 a.m. and they woke him up.

"I thought I was dreaming,'' he said.

Four years later, he still is.