Yusef Kelly

2021-02-12

For more than 16 years, Yusef Kelly has been known largely for a moment -- a moment that occurred when he was in college, and before he knew better. Kelly, who is now a police officer in Easley and married with two kids, reflects on his part in the infamous 2004 brawl between Clemson and South Carolina. A perfect storm of events and timing led to a picture of him serving as the face of an ugly moment in time, but in the end Kelly was just a typical college kid whose missteps were magnified in an...

For more than 16 years, Yusef Kelly has been known largely for a moment -- a moment that occurred when he was in college, and before he knew better.

Kelly, who is now a police officer in Easley and married with two kids, reflects on his part in the infamous 2004 brawl between Clemson and South Carolina.

A perfect storm of events and timing led to a picture of him serving as the face of an ugly moment in time, but in the end Kelly was just a typical college kid whose missteps were magnified in an atypical way.

Kelly said the brawl wasn't viewed as a big deal among the participants in the immediate aftermath: He was among a large group of Tigers and Gamecocks players who went out that night in downtown Clemson and had a good time.

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