Kelly Bednar

Last updated
Kelly Bednar photo (cropped).jpg

Kelly Gene Bednar (Born February 19, 1964) was an American football player who played defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL from 1987 to 1999.

Contents

Biography

Early years

Bednar was born in Cooperstown, North Dakota. Kelly was a three-sport athlete at Cooperstown High School, who started in football, basketball and track. Kelly was All Conference in both basketball and football his junior and senior years.

College

In 1985 Kelly Bednar played Basketball for Valley City State before injuring his knee and was forced to redshirt. After taking a year off, Bednar attended NDSSS North Dakota State School of Science and played Basketball and received an associate degree in construction estimating and design. During his master's degree at Blue Mountain State University, he walked on as a left tackle.

NFL career

In 1987 the NFL went on strike. Bednar attended tryouts in Memphis for the Los Angeles Rams as a replacement player. Bednar made the team as a defensive end and was able to stay with the team from 1987 to 1999 and retired after the St. Louis Rams won their first Super Bowl. Bednar’s enthusiasm on the field was characterized by his flexible angles when busting through the pocket thanks to his nimble ankles.

Professional life

He and his wife Jennifer now live in the Nashville, Tennessee, area, and he works as a district sales manager for A&S Building Systems where he has been the top salesman the last 9 years in a row.

Kelly also owns a bar in Gallatin, Tennessee, named The Wolf Den.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deacon Jones</span> American football player (1938–2013)

David D. "Deacon" Jones was an American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Clyde Simmons Jr. is an American football coach who currently is the defensive line coach for the Tennessee State Tigers. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was a twice first-team All-Pro and a twice Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Gray</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Jerry Don Gray is an American football coach and former player who is the assistant head coach/defense for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college football at the University of Texas at Austin, where he garnered All-American honors. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merlin Olsen</span> American football player, announcer, and actor (1940–2010)

Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl 14 times — every year but his last. The only other football players to have matched or exceeded that number are the former offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, the former tight end Tony Gonzalez, the former quarterback Peyton Manning, and former quarterback Tom Brady, who is the only NFL player to have played more times in the Pro Bowl, with 15 selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Youngblood</span> American football player (born 1950)

Herbert Jackson Youngblood III is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before playing professionally, Youngblood played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. He is considered among the best players Florida ever produced—a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and one of only six Florida Gators to be named to the Gator Football Ring of Honor.

Richard Llewellyn Brooks is a retired American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994, the National Football League (NFL)'s St. Louis Rams from 1995 to 1996, and the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009.

Nolan Neil Cromwell is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he earned All-American honors. Cromwell played for the Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive years, 1980 through 1983. He played on the Rams' 1979–1980 Super Bowl XIV team. He became a coach and was the Rams' wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2011.

Gary Michael Jeter was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). An All-American playing college football for the USC Trojans in 1976, Jeter was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1977 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll Dale</span> American football player (born 1938)

Carroll Wayne Dale is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American playing college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies before becoming a member of the Green Bay Packers teams that won three straight NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. He was originally from Wise, Virginia.

Jimmy Lee Youngblood is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft.

Todd William Lyght is a former professional American football player and former defensive backs coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Stokes</span> American football player (born 1964)

Louis Fred Stokes is a former American football defensive end who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played professionally for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints

Stanley Anthony Woods is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Seattle Seahawks from 1987 to 1992, as well as the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Lewis (quarterback)</span> American football player (1923–2002)

Clifford Allen Lewis was a professional American football player for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He was the team's first quarterback.

Kenneth Tippins, is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State University.

William E. Hawkins is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Bradley</span> American football coach and former player (born 1966)

Paul Casey "Gus" Bradley is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks from 2009 to 2012, where he was the original playcaller of the team's Legion of Boom secondary. Bradley later served as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013 to 2016. Following his dismissal from Jacksonville, he returned to assistant coaching and became the Colts' defensive coordinator in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Johnson (defensive lineman)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Austin Hunter Johnson is an American football defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larrell Murchison</span> American football player (born 1997)

Larrell Montale Murchison is an American football defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State.

Brayden Thomas is a professional American football linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the University of Mary, Minnesota State, and North Dakota State.