Taylor Kelly conjures up Jake Plummer memories at Cardinals camp
TEMPE, Ariz. -- As a former Arizona State Sun Devil by way of Idaho spending his initiation into the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Taylor Kelly calls himself the spud of The Snake.
During the first day of rookie mini-camp on Friday, the fleet-footed quarterback couldn't help but see a little Jake 'The Snake' Plummer in himself. After all, Plummer had offered to help his fellow Sun Devil prepare for this moment. And it was made easier because the team picked out a No. 16 Cardinals jersey for Kelly, the same number Plummer, a fellow Idahoan, wore playing for Arizona.
"Once I walked into my locker room, my locker, saw 16, put a little smile on my face, a little spud of Jake," Kelly said. "He sent me a text this morning, wished me good luck. I'm just going to make the most of this opportunity."
Kelly said he received little interest leading into the NFL Draft. In fact, the Cardinals were the only team that had much.
It's a single opportunity he's grateful for.
Even with Plummer's help, there were sure to be bumps in the road for Kelly on Day 1. He wasn't just learning a new playbook but a new style after spending the last four years under two spread, no-huddle offenses at ASU -- first Noel Mazzone's and later Mike Norvell's.
"Both the young quarterbacks who were here threw the ball extremely well," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said of Kelly and the other rookie in camp, Winston-Salem State product Phillip Sims. "That's usually the hardest thing to get done is snaps from center. It's amazing to me when you get college football players in here, the two kids had never been in a huddle."
Kelly said calling plays in the huddle rather than looking to the sideline was a test for him. Learning the language of play-calling is the biggest hurdle for success in the next few days.
"I've got to go back to my freshman year in college," Kelly said. "That's what it is right now, you're learning a new system. My mind was running a million miles per hour, and I've got to slow that down, learn my reads.
"I thought I played pretty well," he added. "There were a few reads I was late to, just second-guessing myself. Just for me to throw on timing, that's a big thing. The game's a lot faster at this level, and you have to be ahead of the game and see those different coverages and get the ball out where you want to go."
Kelly led ASU to consecutive 10-win seasons in 2013 and 2014, though a foot injury in the middle of this past year cut into his production. In nearly three full years as a starter, Kelly threw 77 touchdowns to 26 interceptions.
The chances Kelly makes the Cardinals are slim to none with Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas and Chandler Harnish on the roster. Yet, it's a chance for Kelly to prove he's ready for the pro game at some level.
The quarterback built his college career by making good decisions, being a leader and using those traits to win quarterback jobs against others who many would consider more talented. Like Plummer, he's a scrappy Sun Devil hoping someone believes in him.
"He has some accuracy," Arians said. "He's frail, but so was Jake Plummer and a few other guys. He kind of reminds me of Jake in that number. I like a lot of things about him."
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