By Dan Parr
April 20, 2008

On graduation day, 2004, at Ware County High School, Leodis Mc­Kelvin fought back the tears. McKelvin, known to most as easygoing and shy, knew men, especially those who play football, were not supposed to cry. Tears weren’t encouraged, but it was acceptable to let them flow on the football field after a triumphant victory or depressing defeat. Diplomas, however, were no reason to show much emotion.

Troy CB Leodis McKelvin

But for McKelvin, this day was different than it was for many other kids — he had just become the first person in his family to graduate.

“I think he wanted to break down, but he tried to hold it in,” said his best friend and football teammate, Steven Daniels. “I don’t think he wanted to show that side.”

McKelvin’s two older brothers, Dexter and Walter, both dropped out of high school, and his mother, Lydia Brown, worked two jobs, including one at Pizza Hut, to provide for her children.

“I just put it in my head that I wanted to be the first one to graduate from high school so my nieces and nephews could look up to me as a role model,” McKelvin said.

Following that emotional day, the Waycross, Ga., native traveled to Troy University in Alabama, where he quickly established himself as an electrifying returner, finishing a four-year career with seven punt returns for touchdowns, which is one short of the all-time NCAA record. He led the nation in punt returns for scores last season, taking three back for touchdowns. He became a versatile cornerback, as well — PFW projects he’ll be the first one taken in this year’s draft.

Unsatisfied with those milestones, McKelvin said he’s currently taking 14 credit hours at Troy and will graduate this summer.

“The NFL stands for ‘Not For Long,’ so (graduating) is a big thing for me,” he said. “It’s a great achievement. My mama is very proud, so I’m going to stay in school and do it for her.”

Daniels, who has been best friends with McKelvin since they played Pop Warner football together for the Tigers in southeast Georgia, isn’t surprised to hear his buddy plans on staying in school, although it’s becoming fairly uncommon for draft prospects to do so instead of leaving for a training complex to spend months preparing for the next level.

“He’s excited, but he’s taking it day-to-day,” Daniels said. “He still feels like he has a lot to prove. Just because he has draft potential, (or might be) the first corner taken or go in the top 10, he still feels like he has a lot more to do.

“He’s never satisfied.”

McKelvin, 5-foot-10¼, 190 pounds, has good size for a corner and all the physical tools that teams desire. He’s been clocked at 4.39 in the 40-yard dash and can change direction in order to mirror wide receivers as they plant and cut through the field. The 22-year-old also reacts quickly and has shown the ability to deliver a jarring hit. 

Daniels, who attends Valdosta State University, can remember the day during his freshman year at Ware when it became clear McKelvin had the skills to be something special. McKelvin, Daniels and a few other freshmen were moved up to the varsity team. During practice, McKelvin was matched up with senior WR Fred Gibson, who was almost six inches taller and heading to the University of Georgia — he eventually bounced around a few NFL teams, including the Rams and Dolphins.

“Leodis stood up pretty good against him,” Daniels said. “That’s when I was like, ‘We might have something on our hands.’

“That’s when I knew.”

Despite all his success, McKelvin’s personality and demeanor didn’t change much, according to Daniels. He was still quiet, and the shyness remained, as well. As he prepares to enter the NFL, his communication skills have come under scrutiny. In a PFW scouting report, which lists the positives and negatives of each prospect, one of McKelvin’s negatives is that “he doesn’t have a great understanding of the game nor does he articulate it easily.”

Daniels said the perception of McKelvin’s social skills might change once people in the league get to know him better.

“As far as meeting new people, I don’t think (Leodis will) have a problem with teammates or anybody,” he said. “If he feels like he has something in common with somebody, he’s not as shy. If he’s meeting somebody off the street, that’s a little different.”

McKelvin may have kept his statements short in an interview with PFW, but they didn’t lack boldness, and for good reason. In several PFW mock drafts this offseason, he has been projected to be selected either eighth by the Ravens or seventh by the Patriots, both of whom are in need of reinforcements at cornerback. His main competition for the crown of first corner taken comes from Tennessee State CB-RS Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who has exploded from relative obscurity following a slew of sensational workouts, and Kansas CB-RS Aqib Talib.

“They’re all good athletes, but they’re not me,” McKelvin said. “I know I’m the best. Just go to NFL.com and watch our workouts at the Combine.”

It’s that side of McKelvin, the one brimming with confidence, that is kept locked up except when he lets down his guard around friends or feels challenged, whether it’s on the football field or on draft boards. That veiled self-assurance is also what led him from the streets of Waycross, where he grew up racing his older brothers and rooting for the Cowboys, to Troy, to possibly the top 10 in the draft, and finally to, perhaps, a college degree.

Daniels has witnessed all of it. He has seen McKelvin “hyped” before a big game, and he’s seen him devastated after a tough loss. He has even seen that forbidden tear roll down his cheek.

“I’ve seen (Leodis) get emotional, but I’ve never seen him … well, actually I have seen him shed a tear,” he said. “It was our senior year when we played Statesboro High, and we lost in the second round of the playoffs. It wasn’t like a boo-hoo; it was more like he couldn’t believe it and was sad.”

Believing is exactly what NFL teams are doing after they watch McKelvin light up game tape with highlight-reel returns and apply coverage that could, with some seasoning and hard work, make him one of the best corners in the league.

Until then, he’ll focus much of his attention on finishing up at Troy and gaining that degree, which will, regardless of what happens in the league, make him a superstar to those who know him best.

Related Articles:

Links to our online draft coverage