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*EDITOR’S NOTE- This story orginally ran in 2018 as a part of the Class of 2018 Troy Sports Hall of Fame ceremony.*
Troy’s football history is littered with great players – National Player of the Year, All-Americans, Conference Players of the Year, the list goes on. For Leodis McKelvin, he stood alone among the giants as Troy’s lone Football Bowl Subdivision AllAmerican for 11 seasons. “He was as good as it gets,” legendary Troy University football head coach and Troy Sports Hall of Fame member Larry Blakeney said. “He was a phenom as far as his athletic abilities and was a good guy, a great teammate and one heck of a football player.”
McKelvin earned All-America distinction from The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly following the 2007 season in which he ranked third nationally averaging 18.3 yards per punt return and was the only player to return three punts for a touchdown. He led the Trojans in all-purpose yards (1,192) and when his storied Troy career was all said and done, McKelvin had returned a combined seven punts and kickoffs for a touchdown, just one shy of an NCAA record. His impact stretched far past the kicking game as McKelvin was frequently tasked with covering the opposing teams’ top receiver. Troy’s defense, led by McKelvin, held opponents to a measly 183.1 passing yards per game and just 24.6 points per contest as the Trojans rolled off an 8-4 record, including a victory over Oklahoma State. In that game against the Cowboys, a nationally-televised contest on ESPN2, McKelvin thrust himself into the national spotlight. He returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown to give the Trojans a 20-3 lead midway through the second quarter … he would go on to finish with a team-high seven tackles in addition to three pass break ups and a forced fumble in Troy’s 41-23 victory. “He was lean and he could fly,” Blakeney said. “He got me in trouble on his punt return against Oklahoma State. I was so excited and I ran out on the field following him down the sideline and the official that was following him ran right into
me, I’m not sure if they penalized me or not.” A quick glance at the box score shows Troy with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the return, no indication whether it was directed at Blakeney or the team for celebration. If it was on Blakeney, looking back it was well worth it. “When you have a guy back there like Leodis, it’s hard to kick it away from him unless you kick it out of bounds,” Blakeney said. “He could cover so much ground and wanted the ball in his hands. He was a true weapon any time he touched the football.” He touched the ball a lot in his Troy career as the three-time All-Sun Belt selection ranks first in Troy history in kickoff returns, kickoff return yards, punt returns, punt return yards and punt return touchdowns. Amazingly, McKelvin ranks fourth all-time in Troy history in all-purpose yards despite never taking an offensive snap – no other player in the top 20 in Troy’s record book in the category has less than 1,000 offensive yards. “The offensive coaches certainly wanted him on that side of the ball,” Blakeney said with a chuckle. “But at that point we were already using him in two-thirds of the game. He always drew the opponents’ top receiver and could change the game in an instance on special teams. “He will always be remembered for being an outstanding football player,” Blakeney added. “But he also needs to be remembered for being a stand up young man. He earned the respect of his teammates and was always one to come back and visit Troy when he was playing in the NFL. One of the first things he did when he was drafted was to build his momma a house. I’ve got nothing but the most respect for Leodis.” The Buffalo Bills made him the 11th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, which is tied with Troy’s DeMarcus Ware for the highest overall selection ever out of the Sun Belt Conference. McKelvin played nine seasons in the NFL – eight with the Bills and one with the Philadelphia Eagles – and recorded 360 tackles, 15 interceptions and six touchdowns.
