ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -Warren Sapp has been to seven Pro Bowls, owns a world championship ring and is closing in on 100 career sacks. He thinks those numbers will pale in comparison to what his Oakland teammate Tommy Kelly can accomplish.
For weeks, Sapp has been telling anyone who would listen that the Raiders' fourth-year defensive end is one of the best young players in the NFL.
Kelly took a big step toward confirming that last week when he blocked a field goal as time expired against Cleveland, helping Oakland snap an 11-game losing streak dating to 2006.
"He'll be better than me," Sapp said. "He'll have better numbers than me when his game's over. ... I know him. This kid's picking up everything you could possibly imagine. His game has just evolved."
Sapp should know. The two joined the Raiders at the same time in 2004. Sapp had just signed a free agent contract after spending nine years in Tampa Bay, while Kelly signed with the team as an undrafted and unheralded free agent from Mississippi State.
The two have since formed a tight-knit relationship which often calls for Sapp to speak on Kelly's behalf. That's because Kelly, 26, doesn't talk to the media, at least not about football. He will exchange pleasantries with a handshake and smile, but that's as far as it goes for Oakland's 6-foot-6, 300-pound defensive lineman.
"He's just shy with you guys, but he's hilarious," Sapp said. "He'll come up with some off-the-wall stuff that just makes you laugh."
Few people within the Raiders organization were laughing much during the past 11 months. Before Sunday's game against the Browns, Oakland hadn't won since Oct. 29, 2006, an 11-game slide that matched the second-longest streak in franchise history.
Kelly halted the skid with one swipe of his left hand when he blocked Phil Dawson's second attempt at a 40-yard field goal. Dawson had been successful on his first try, but the kick was negated when the referee ruled the Raiders had called timeout before the attempt.
It was the first blocked kick of Kelly's career, moving him one step closer to Sapp in a career that already has striking similarities.
Through their first three years in the NFL, both players had comparable numbers. Sapp made 37 starts, 146 tackles, 22 1/2 sacks and five forced fumble; Kelly made 31 starts, 133 tackles, 12 sacks and six forced fumbles.
But while Sapp played one position - defensive tackle - Kelly has moved from nose guard to tackle to end and played all three with equal success.
"When I was coaching in Denver, we had a guy named Trevor Pryce, he played all three different positions," Raiders defensive line coach Keith Millard said. "He's been a Pro Bowler at the defensive tackle position and he's been a Pro Bowl-caliber type as a defensive end. (Kelly) can play any position across the defensive line. That's a compliment to his abilities.
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