shelby
11-20-2008, 04:55 AM
Bobby April, Buffalo’s special teams coach, never had a doubt about Leodis McKelvin.
“He’s going to be good, very good,” April said recently in regard to the rookie kickoff returner.
There was some doubt in Bills Nation about head coach Dick Jauron’s decision to replace Buffalo’s all-time leading kickoff returner, Terrence McGee, with McKelvin in Week 2, but the first-round pick out of Troy has certainly rewarded Jauron and April’s faith the last few weeks.
McKelvin scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the Monday night loss to Cleveland, a dazzling 98-yarder that got the Bills back into the game after they had fallen behind 23-13 just seconds earlier.
McKelvin also had returns of 39 and 48 yards in the game, giving him 185 yards, which tied the third-highest output in Bills history, and was a Buffalo record for a first-year player.
After a three-game stretch against Arizona, San Diego and Miami where McKelvin averaged 21 yards on his 14 returns, he has erupted in the last three weeks against New York, New England and Cleveland. In those games he has 13 returns for 502 yards, an average of 38.6 yards.
This recent surge has vaulted McKelvin to third in the league with a 29.0 average and his 1,073 yards — already the seventh-best total in Bills history with six games still to be played — is the most in the league.
“It was a relief,” McKelvin said of scoring his first TD. “I was one man away from getting to the end zone every week. Those first couple returns gave us momentum and great field position and when the third one came, I just took my chance because I figured they’re not going to kick it to me anymore. The other guys blocked great and I just did what I had to do.”
more... (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081120/SPORTS03/81120001/1007/SPORTS)
“He’s going to be good, very good,” April said recently in regard to the rookie kickoff returner.
There was some doubt in Bills Nation about head coach Dick Jauron’s decision to replace Buffalo’s all-time leading kickoff returner, Terrence McGee, with McKelvin in Week 2, but the first-round pick out of Troy has certainly rewarded Jauron and April’s faith the last few weeks.
McKelvin scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the Monday night loss to Cleveland, a dazzling 98-yarder that got the Bills back into the game after they had fallen behind 23-13 just seconds earlier.
McKelvin also had returns of 39 and 48 yards in the game, giving him 185 yards, which tied the third-highest output in Bills history, and was a Buffalo record for a first-year player.
After a three-game stretch against Arizona, San Diego and Miami where McKelvin averaged 21 yards on his 14 returns, he has erupted in the last three weeks against New York, New England and Cleveland. In those games he has 13 returns for 502 yards, an average of 38.6 yards.
This recent surge has vaulted McKelvin to third in the league with a 29.0 average and his 1,073 yards — already the seventh-best total in Bills history with six games still to be played — is the most in the league.
“It was a relief,” McKelvin said of scoring his first TD. “I was one man away from getting to the end zone every week. Those first couple returns gave us momentum and great field position and when the third one came, I just took my chance because I figured they’re not going to kick it to me anymore. The other guys blocked great and I just did what I had to do.”
more... (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081120/SPORTS03/81120001/1007/SPORTS)