Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State cornerback Jermaine Kelly was the Houston Texans’ seventh round draft choice in the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium Saturday.

The 6-foot-1, 195-lb, Los Angeles, Calif., native was the 222nd overall pick and the Texans’ eighth pick in this year’s draft. He was the only Mountain West player described as a cornerback, defensive back or safety selected in the draft.

Kelly completed three seasons with the Spartans after transferring from the University of Washington. He sat out the 2015 season, per NCAA transfer rules and regulations. Overall, he played in 25 games and started 17 times for SJSU in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively.

In 2017, Kelly led the Spartans and was third in the MW with his 12 pass break-ups. He was fourth in the conference for passes defended at 1.00 per game. Kelly’s one interception in a SJSU uniform was a 68-yard return for a touchdown in the September 23rd game versus Utah State.

Kelly’s best game of his senior season may have been at Colorado State when he was credited with six tackles and two pass break-ups and helped limit Rams’ wide receiver, Michael Gallup, the MW’s leading player in receptions and reception yardage to seven catches for just 47 yards. Gallup, drafted in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys, finished the season with 100 receptions for 1,413 yards and seven touchdowns.

Kelly concluded his college career playing in the 2018 FBS All-American Spiral Tropical Bowl.

He becomes the third SJSU player drafted by the Texans in the last six seasons. In 2013, Houston selected offensive lineman David Quessenberry in the sixth round as the 176th overall pick. In 2016, running back Tyler Ervin went to the Texans in the fourth round as the 119th overall pick.