Cincy TE Kelly talks Super Bowl

BY BRANDON SPECK

Sports Editor

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Reggie Kelly, 100 percent and ready to get back to the game after surgery to repair a torn Achilles, gave the Monroe Journal his take on Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV.

“It’s a game it’s your dream of playing when you’re a kid running around in the back yard with your friends,” Kelly said. “I’ve never been to the pinnacle, but I’ve talked to plenty of people who have and their preparation for this game is out of this world, because they want to do everything it takes to win that big game, because you never know if you’re going to get this opportunity again.”

Kelly has spent the last seven years of his 11-year career with the Bengals. An impending free agent, Kelly holds both Super Bowl quarterbacks in high regard.

“When you have a guy like Peyton Manning, you know he’s going to study tremendous amounts of film. He’s going to do all the little things it takes in practice to be totally prepared for anything the Saints defense is going to throw at him,” Kelly said. “All the bumps and bruises they may have, that’s all out the window. Their main goal is to suck it up for one more game so they can be considered world champs.”

Kelly says not to count out the guy in the other huddle either. Drew Brees was handpicked by coach Sean Payton to lead a Saints revolution after Katrina left New Orleans in ruins.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, Drew Brees is one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the league right now,” Kelly said. “He’s pretty much like a surgeon. He picks a defense apart. When you have two great quarterbacks like that with high-powered offenses, it’s going to be very exciting for us as fans. Even though I play in the NFL, I’m still a fan. I’m just like any other fan. I love to watch high-flying offenses score a lot of points. Both teams also have very good defenses too, both very aggressive. It’s going to be pretty exciting.”