Call Him King Kelly

Kenny Kelly, quarterback of the great Tampa Catholic teams of the mid 90s,is by our estimation the finest player in Hillsborough County history. Hereis our look at the top 10 players the county has ever seen.

By MIKE READLING and SCOTT PURKS

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 1999

Perhaps the most telling tale about Kenny Kelly, the story that sealedhis place in Hillsborough County lore, came after Tampa Catholic lost to LaBelle in the 1995 state semifinals.

As the teams milled around the

Hillsborough County's best ever: the full list

field shaking hands and offering congratulations, a group of parents from LaBelle surrounded Kelly.

"I just want to touch it," one man said as he reached out for Kelly'sright arm.

Another offered him good luck in college and the NFL. Yet another saidshe was glad she got the chance to see him play before he made it big. Everybody took the opportunity to shake his hand.

Kelly was still a junior.

He went onto finish his career at Tampa Catholic as the state's all-time leading passer with 7,486 yards and 77 touchdowns. He led the Crusaders tothe state playoffs four consecutive years, although they could never capturea state title.

It is those numbers, along with the leadership and maturity Kelly showed on the field and in the classroom that led to his being named the Best Player Ever from Hillsborough County by the Times.

The award is based on high school performance alone. The Times chose 99 players, ranked thetop 10 and listed the rest alphabetically.

"I've seen a lot of football players and Rick Casares was one of thebest," said Chamberlain coach Billy Turner, who has coached football on thec ollege and high school levels in Hillsborough County for nearly 40 years."But Kenny Kelly was a rare one. He was one-of-a-kind."

The prototypical pocket passer, Kelly was timed at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had the ability to beat a team with his arms or his legs.Every pass he threw -- whether it was a bullet to a crossing tight end or a high-arcing lob to a sprinting receiver -- had the chance to become pointsf or the Crusaders. Every time he broke out of the pocket, there was the chance he would beat several defenders before reaching the end zone.

When he wasn't taking snaps, Kelly appeared as a defensive back oncertain occasions, taking the chance to pay back a couple of the hits he hadtaken earlier in the game.

This season he is slated as the starting quarterback at the University of Miami as a sophomore.

2. Rick Casares

Growing up in a tough Ybor City neighborhood, he lost his father at a young age, played every sport he could get into and went on to star at Jefferson after turning down a $100-a-week pro boxing career with thelegendary Duva brothers

While playing for the Dragons, Casares, primarily a running back, didjust about everything. In 1949, as a senior, Casares played both ways and kicked, leading Jefferson to an undefeated season and the Big Ten Conference championship. During his junior and senior seasons he led Jefferson to a19-1 record before moving on to the University of Florida.

Casares starred in two sports at Florida, being named All-SEC in baseball and football before getting drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1954. As a pro, he scored 59 touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl five consecutive seasons. He still ranks third on Chicago's all-time leading rushers list with 5,675 yards.

In 1996, Casares was named Jefferson's all-time MVP and had his number retired by the school. He lives in Tampa.

3. Steve Kiner

Kiner was one of the hardest-hitting players at Hillsborough High, taking it upon himself to hurt as many opponents as possible when he was on thefield -- a player with one of those menacing expressions that never changed

After graduating from Hillsborough in 1966, he went to the University ofTennessee where he finished ninth in the '69 Heisman Trophy voting -- as alinebacker.

"Steve Kiner was as tough as they make 'em," Hillsborough High coach Earl Garcia said. "If he was a little bigger he'd probably still be playing."Kiner played at about 180 pounds in high school.

4. Leon McQuay

He made his name with the Yellow Jackets as one of the hardest players to tackle, a slippery back with tremendous size and speed

McQuay graduated from Blake in 1968 and went on to star the University of Tampa. During his stay at UT he was selected small college All-American in 1970. He rushed for 3,039 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career.

Upon leaving the Spartans, McQuay went on to play in the CFL, NFL and USFL. He died in 1995 of an apparent heart attack at age 45.

5. John Reaves

Reaves went on to star at Florida, although he still holds the dubious record of throwing the most interceptions in a Division I game with nine against Auburn in 1969

After leaving the Gators, Reaves went on to star for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. He also played for Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Minnesota in the NFL and attempted to come back as a 37-year old replacement during the NFL strike in 1987.

Reaves is a real estate broker in Tampa.

6. Forrest Blue

He left Chamberlain and went on to be a three-year starter at center for Auburn, earning All-SEC and All-American honors. After being drafted in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1968, he made four Pro Bowl appearances while primarily working with QBs John Brodie and Steve Spurrier

Blue also played with the Baltimore Colts from 1975-78.

"I felt very fortunate to play at Chamberlain; we had great players, agreat booster club and great coaches," said Blue, a general contractor and real estate developer in Sacramento, Calif. "I still think of those high school years as much as any in my career."

7. Zain Gilmore

Gilmore was the type of runner who could run you over or fly by with his 4.4-second speed in the 40

He is slated to play tailback at the University of Missouri this season as a sophomore and already has made an appearance on the Dean's List.

"Take a good look at Zain," Robinson coach Bud Hodgens said on the night the school retired his number. "You may not see another one like him around here for a long time."

8. Larry Smith

In 1963 he led the No. 1-ranked Knights to an 11-1 record and anappearance in the first state championship game at Phillips Field in Tampa. In 1964, he scored 29 touchdowns, then moved onto the University ofFlorida

At Florida he became an All-Southeastern Conference running back and was selected Most Valuable Player at the 1967 Orange Bowl, when he had a 94-yard touchdown run against Georgia Tech. He was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1969 NFL Draft and also played for the Washington Redskins in a six-year career. Smith is now a real estate lawyer in southTampa.

"You think about those old days from time to time when you get together with friends," said Smith, whose son plays on Jesuit's junior varsity."Those days were a lot of fun and that's what it's all about, just having fun."

9. Donald Caldwell

He had a cannon for an arm, but Caldwell could also run whenever and whereever he wanted. In one game against Largo as a junior he carried the ball eight times and scored on seven of those rushes (five touchdowns, twotwo-point conversions)

He also led the state in passing as a sophomore (2,445 yards), was votedthe Class 5A Player of the Year as a junior, and was named all-state as a senior before joining the University of Florida -- as a receiver.

"When you have a kid that runs like he's not even trying and he's just blowing by people like they're standing still, it's pretty amazing," Largo coach Jim Casey said after the game Caldwell scored seven times. "He doesevery thing without any effort. You can't get a hit on the guy."

10. Darrell Jackson

Jackson combined with Kelly to create one of the most potent 1-2 offensive punches in national high school history. It was a common occurenceto see Kelly launch a high-arching lob destined to fall incomplete, only tohave Jackson sprint under it at the last second and score

It's easy to say Jackson was the beneficiary of Kelly's talent, but somebody had to make all those catches and score all those touchdowns. Plus, it's hard to disagree with anyone who holds the national career receivingrecord with 4,569 yards -- which Jackson does.

It might be a good idea to watch Jackson and Caldwell catch passes this year for the University of Florida. Who knows, they might set a few more records.

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