Tarleton State University Athletics

A gunslinger from Burleson, Steve Kelly made a triumphant return to the Lone Star State after coming to Tarleton from Miami in 1999. He made nothing short of a legendary impact on the Tarleton Football program as he became the first quarterback to lead the Texans into the NCAA national playoffs. The Texans won 21 games in three years with Kelly under center, including a 10-3 season in 2001 when Tarleton made its debut in the NCAA postseason and defeated Chadron State in the opening round. Kelly racked up numerous Lone Star Conference awards, including two LSC Offensive Back of the Year honors and the league’s 2001-02 Male Athlete of the Year award. After an All-American season in 2001, Kelly finished his illustrious career with 8,203 passing yards and 51 touchdowns. He is a top-five quarterback in four major passing statistical categories at the time of his induction.