Joshua Kelley Bio
Joshua Tyler Kelley is an American professional football running back. He began his college football career with the UC Davis Aggies before transferring to the UCLA Bruins program. Kelley rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons with the Bruins, earning second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 in 2019. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. He has also played for the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.
Listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 212 pounds, Kelley has spent his professional career working as a power-style runner inside a committee-based backfield. Born and raised in Southern California, he has played a reserve and complementary role across multiple NFL teams since entering the league.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Tyler Kelley was born on November 20, 1997, in Inglewood, California, USA. He grew up in Lancaster in Los Angeles County with his older brother Daniel. He was raised by his mother Jacqueline, a single parent who worked as a speech pathologist at an elementary school.
Kelley attended Eastside High School in Lancaster, where he played for the Lions. Across his final two high school seasons, he rushed for 1,903 yards and 22 touchdowns. As a senior, he earned first-team all-conference honors in the Golden League and was named the conference’s running back of the year.
Growing up, Kelley was a fan of UCLA. His mother volunteered at the university, and he had an aunt and uncle who studied there, with his uncle playing on the Bruins baseball team. That family connection helped shape his long-term goal of reaching college football’s top level.
Path to American Football
Kelley entered college as a lightly recruited two-star prospect, ranked the No. 232 running back in the class of 2015. UC Davis was the only school that pursued him, so he began his career with the Aggies in the Football Championship Subdivision.
At UC Davis from 2015 to 2016, Kelley split carries with Manusomo Luuga and dealt with injuries, finishing his two seasons with 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns. After his sophomore year, the Aggies fired head coach Ron Gould and the rest of the coaching staff, prompting Kelley to give up his scholarship and seek a transfer.
Kelley signed as a walk-on with the UCLA Bruins of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2017, redshirting that season while serving on the scout team. When UCLA hired Chip Kelly as head coach, the new staff awarded him a scholarship and gave him a real opportunity to compete for carries.
Joshua Kelley Career
Early Career (2018)
As a redshirt junior in 2018, Kelley did not play much early in the season, opening with just 11 carries for 27 yards in the first two weeks and being benched against Fresno State. After UCLA’s open week, he broke out with 124 rushing yards on 12 carries at Colorado.
He emerged as the Bruins’ top offensive player down the stretch, finishing with six 100-yard games and 1,243 rushing yards, the 10th-highest single-season total in UCLA history. Against USC, he rushed for a career-high 289 yards on 40 carries, the most by a player on either side in the history of the rivalry.
UCLA Breakthrough (2019)
Kelley returned for his senior season in 2019 after deciding against entering the NFL draft. He missed most of training camp with a right knee injury but quickly returned to form once healthy.
On October 26 against Arizona State, Kelley ran 34 times for 164 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 42–32 upset of the No. 24 Sun Devils. He added 126 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado and finished the year with 1,060 rushing yards.
That made him the eighth player in UCLA history to run for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. He averaged 96.4 yards per game and scored 12 rushing touchdowns, both second in the Pac-12 behind Utah’s Zack Moss. Kelley was named second-team All-Pac-12 and was the only Bruin selected to the first or second team.
Los Angeles Chargers Era (2020–2023)
Kelley was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 112th overall pick. He competed with Justin Jackson to be the backup behind Austin Ekeler. In his NFL debut against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had 60 rushing yards on 12 carries and scored the team’s only touchdown in a 16–13 win.
He followed that with 113 scrimmage yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, but fumbles in consecutive close games against Carolina and Tampa Bay reduced his playing time. In 2021, he appeared in 10 games and finished with 33 carries for 102 yards and five receptions for 38 yards.
In 2022, Kelley entered camp stronger and earned more touches as the season progressed, running for 49 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries against Cleveland in Week 5. A Week 6 MCL sprain sent him to injured reserve in October before he was activated in late November.
New York Giants and Tennessee Titans (2024)
On August 15, 2024, Kelley signed with the New York Giants, but he was released as part of preliminary roster cuts on August 25. Shortly after, on October 15, 2024, he signed with the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on November 2.
Kelley appeared in three games during the 2024 season with Tennessee, working in a depth role. Through the 2024 season, his career NFL totals included 1,150 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per carry, six rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions, and 319 receiving yards.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kelley is built as a physical, between-the-tackles runner who can also contribute as a pass catcher out of the backfield. His best college work came in volume-heavy games where he wore down defenses, a style that translated to complementary committee duties in the NFL. He has shown the ability to produce when given extended touches, especially against tired fronts late in games.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kelley’s signature college moment came against USC in 2018, when his 289 rushing yards set a new record for either side in the rivalry. He is one of only eight UCLA players to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. After the 2019 season, he improved his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, where he ran for a game-high 105 yards on 15 carries.
Joshua Kelley Career Wins
Kelley’s career has been defined more by statistical milestones and individual achievements than by signature victories as a lead back. His most celebrated team result remains the 2018 upset win at USC, where his career-high rushing total powered the Bruins’ first victory in four seasons against their crosstown rival.
UCLA Highlights
Kelley recorded six 100-yard rushing games during the 2018 season, helping UCLA secure their first win of that year at California with 157 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 289-yard performance against USC and a 164-yard, four-touchdown game against Arizona State in 2019.
His rushing production earned him Associated Press first-team and Pac-12 honorable mention recognition in 2018, followed by second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2019.
Other Wins and Performances
At UC Davis, Kelley helped the Aggies compete in Big Sky Conference play across the 2015 and 2016 seasons before his transfer. In the NFL, his first career win came in his debut with the Chargers against Cincinnati in 2020. He has appeared in postseason and regular-season games with multiple franchises, working primarily as a complementary runner.
Joshua Kelley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kelley does not come from a noted football family, and his path to the sport was shaped more by his community than by athletic lineage. He grew up in a single-parent household led by his mother Jacqueline, who balanced a career as a speech pathologist with raising her two sons. Family ties to UCLA, including his mother’s volunteer work and his uncle’s time on the Bruins baseball team, helped connect him to the program he would later star for.
Personal Life
Kelley is a Christian. He is married to Mikaela Kelley, who has been a consistent presence throughout his college and professional career. The couple has been together through his transitions from UC Davis to UCLA and into the NFL.
2025 Season Performance
Kelley enters the 2025 season coming off a 2024 campaign split between the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans, where he appeared in three games after being promoted from the Titans’ practice squad. His experience as a depth back and special teams contributor gives him a clear path back onto an active roster.
With Tennessee, he remains a candidate to fill a complementary role behind the Titans’ top running back options, contributing on early downs and in short-yardage situations. His pass-catching experience, highlighted by 50 career receptions, also fits modern committee backfields.
Kelley’s outlook for 2025 depends on roster competition in training camp and his ability to stay healthy after a 2022 MCL injury. A strong preseason could secure him a roster spot and a larger share of offensive touches as the season progresses.