CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina University redshirt senior linebacker Silas Kelly was one of three student-athletes to be named a 2020 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award winner by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.
 
Kelly was joined by Jarek Broussard, a sophomore running back for the University of Colorado, and Kenneth Horsey, sophomore offensive lineman for the University of Kentucky. The three football student-athletes overcame injury and illness to excel on the field this season. 
 
The trio was selected by a vote of Associated Press college football writers and will be officially recognized today during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. 
 
The 6-4 foot, 230-pound linebacker from South Carroll Senior High School in Mount Airy, Md. broke his hand in the first game of the 2019 season and then tore his ACL in the season's second game against Kansas during the Chanticleers first-ever win over a Power 5 school.
 
Following knee surgery, he worked hard to return to spring practice but was forced to have a second operation on his knee in early spring. He was back in the middle for Coastal Carolina to open the 2020 season against Kansas.
 
The following week versus Campbell he recorded eight tackles and two sacks to earn Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Kelly registered a career-high 12 tackles in the win over South Alabama. He also had 8.0 tackles in wins at Kansas, at then-No. 21 Louisiana, and versus Georgia Southern, and added nine stops against Appalachian State.
 
For the season, Kelly led Coastal Carolina with 80 tackles and added 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.0 sacks, and an interception. His 5.0 sacks were tied for eighth in the Sun Belt, while his 80 total stops were ninth in the conference on the year.

"I am honored to be mentioned for this award. This comes with so much hard work. I've put in countless hours of work to be the teammate, player, and person that my teammates needed me to be in order to help my team in the best way that I could. I set my mind to recovering from my injury and contributing in a meaningful way," said Kelly. "I'd like to thank my family, friends, trainers, teammates, and coaches for the support they provided me during my recovery process. Everything I've gone through has made me the person I am today, and I couldn't be more thankful for all of the experiences I've gained and the lessons I've learned along the way. You can do anything you set your mind to."
 
"Silas displayed character and resilience not only to come back but to do it performing at an all-conference level. His perseverance has been a great example of overcoming adversity and excelling in whatever you put your mind to," said Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell.
 
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