Kelly likes to describe a game day as, simply, "a regular day."
Penn State's junior place kicker acknowledges that some players like to crank up their CD players -- or their voices -- in the waning moments before a game begins. Some, he says, just like to keep to themselves.
But on Saturdays in autumn, you'll find the 5-foot-7 kicker and his holder, sophomore Jeremy Boone, doing none of those things
.
"Usually, we just hang out," Kelly said, when asked if he and Boone had a pre-game routine. "I think that's the thing about us -- it's just like a regular day."
Even though Kelly tries to make Saturdays as normal as possible, there's no denying that the young 2007 season has been an unusual one for him. During the offseason, kickoffs were bumped back from the 35-yard line to the 30, meaning that Kelly has had to make some adjustments to his style.
He prefers to kick line drives -- they're usually his best kickoffs, he said. This season, however, Kelly has had to focus on hangtime -- keeping his kickoffs high in the air for as long as possible, so the Nittany Lions' coverage team has more time to get down the field.
Kelly said that Joe Paterno and safeties coach Brian Norwood have always stressed hangtime during practice, but it's taken on extra significance this year.
"I was worried about our kickoff game," Paterno said. "We pretty much challenged [Kelly] all preseason. He had to be a more accurate field goal kicker and had to be able to get that football down in the end zone. And not in a line drive."
Paterno added that he's been pleased with Kelly's adjustments so far. His kickoffs averaged 62 yards in the season opener and 70 yards last week against Notre Dame, with two touchbacks. In his first two games of the 2006 season, he averaged only 60 yards and 43 yards, respectively, with one touchback in each game.
Kelly has also had to maintain a specific exercise program since the middle of last season, when he began to develop problems with his back. He said that, despite the injury, he was still able to do his job -- the pain was more mental than physical.
"It was more of a frustration," Kelly said of the injury, adding that he feels great now.
Last year, Kelly hit 22 field goals in 34 attempts. He was perfect within 29 yards, but shaky once he got beyond the 30-yard mark. He missed his first attempt in this year's season opener, but has made both his attempts since then -- a 45-yarder and a 37-yarder.
Boone, Kelly's holder and roommate, gives credit to the Lions' special teams for protecting them long enough to make the kick. But Boone is quick to blame himself when the ball misses the uprights.
"If Kevin misses, then I miss," Boone said. "We all miss the field goal."
Despite his solid early season numbers, Kelly's not satisfied. In the beginning of preseason practice, Lions coaches told all the kickers and punters that many games would come down to special teams.
Their execution would have to be flawless.
They were told they'd have to be more consistent, Kelly said, and focus on every kick.
"I think that has been my problem the past two years -- I wasn't necessarily taking every kick like it was the last kick of the day," Kelly said.
"That's really the thing that they stressed and I think that's helped out with all of us."
