April 28, 2018
Irving, Texas----- San Jose State University cornerback Jermaine Kelly was the Houston Texans' seventh round draft choice in the 2018 National Football League Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound, Los Angeles, Calif., native was the 222nd overall selection and the Texans' eight pick in the 2018 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 San Jose State in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
In 2017, Kelly led the Spartans and was third in the Mountain West with his 12 pass break-ups. He was fourth in the conference for passes defensed at 1.00 per game. Kelly's one interception in a San Jose State uniform was a 68-yard return for a touchdown in the September 23 game against Utah State.
His 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 help limit Rams' wide receiver Michael Gallup, the Mountain West'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 San Jose State 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 selection. In 2016, running back Tyler Ervin went to the Texans in the fourth round as the 119th overall choice.