Politics & Government

Mayor Gonzalez Honors NFL Rookie from Chicago Heights

The mayor joked about Dennis Kelly's powerful handshake after giving him a special proclamation at the July 16 city council meeting.

It's been a good year for alum Dennis Kelly.

He was drafted to the NFL in April, completed his senior year at Purdue University and he received a proclamation from the mayor of Chicago Heights during the Monday city council meeting.

Mayor David Gonzalez best described the Heights native and Philadelphia Eagles rookie as "humble."

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"He emphasizes the importance of a good education and how St. Kieran and Marian Catholic instilled a solid work ethic in him," Gonzalez said before giving Kelly the proclamation.

Kelly brought several family members to the meeting, who patiently sat through discussions about the now-approved city budget for the 2013 fiscal year.

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Gonzalez told the crowd he was glad to see a Heights native achieve his dream.

"These are the success stories that we just love to hear from the people that grew up in Chicago Heights," Gonzalez said.

Check out past Patch stories on Dennis Kelly:

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