He is best known as Fat Rob among his peers, but American football fans certainly agree that running back Robert Kelley, who runs for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL), is the real deal. Even though he wasn’t in the 2016 draft, the talented running back made his way through the NFL. He signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent after the 2016 draft. Kelley has been in action for two seasons for the Redskins. He finished his college career on the Green Wave football team at Tulane University. Read on as we take a look at his biography, NFL career, height, weight and other interesting facts below.
Robert Kelley Biography (Age)
Robert Kelley was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 3, 1992, to African American parents Darriel Kelley and her husband Robert Thompson. He grew up in the 9th district of New Orleans. In 2005, her family lost their home following the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. Kelley’s nationality is American and he is of African American descent.
Kelley attended and completed his high school education at Walker New Orleans High School located on the West Bank of Algiers, New Orleans. While there, his love of football led him to join the school team. He acted as a half-off for the team. Apart from football, he also competed in athletics events.
After graduation, he enrolled at Tulane University where he played college football from 2011 to 2015. Playing alongside Orleans Darkwa in the backfield for Tulane; Kelley recorded 16 receptions with 178 receiving yards and two touchdowns with 332 rushing yards in the first year. In his sophomore year, he improved his game for the Green Wave, with a season-high 46 receptions, four touchdowns, 286 rushing yards, and 340 receiving yards. As a junior, he scored three touchdowns, 18 receptions, 420 rushing yards and 176 rushing yards in 2013.
Kelley missed the 2014 season because he was arrested for assaulting his fellow student. The student also alleged that Robert stole his bike. The case caused Robert to miss all of 2014. After the charges were dropped, he returned to the team for the 2015 season. Having finished his career in 2015, Kelley appeared in 12 games. He recorded 232 rushing yards, six receptions, one touchdown and 33 receiving yards.
NFL career and statistics
In the 2016 NFL Draft, Robert Kelley was unselected for the draft and after the draft he signed as an untraded free agent with the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Upon joining the Redskins, Kelley recorded his first career touchdown against Kirk Cousin of the Detroit Lions. He made his career debut after the absence of Matt Jones. Playing against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 30, 2016, Robert had 21 carries with 87 rushing yards. His rookie season ended with a total of 12 receptions, six touchdowns, 82 receiving yards and 704 rushing yards.
During the 2017 season, he had less playing time as he was placed behind Chris Thompson and Samajé Périne. Having scored two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks in their Week 9 win, Robert suffered an injury that placed him on injured reserve for the rest of the season. He finished the season with three touchdowns and 194 rushing yards.
With the 2018 preseason games underway, the Redskins’ running line hasn’t been as effective since the absence of Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine, who are still recovering from injuries. That means a big responsibility for Washington rumbler Kelley. He won’t just get more playing time; but also the opportunity to prove himself as a bell-cow hunter for his team. Hopefully he gets a permanent starting jersey for the Redskins eventually.
Body statistics, height and weight
Robert Kelley was a wonderful running back well known for his resilience. Although some say it’s not that fast, it sure is fast. He never failed to deliver an incredible back kick, blazing his way aggressively and quickly. Kelley has a height of 1.83 m (6 ft) and a corresponding weight of 106 kg (233 lb). Besides that, he has black eyes and black hair with dreadlocks.