Image courtesy of UNC Athletics

One day, you’re helping Holy Cross to a share of its sixth straight Patriot League title, the next, you’re being recruited by the greatest coach in NFL history.

It’s been a whirlwind month or two for former fifth-year senior Christo Kelly. As a team captain and veteran leader of the Crusaders, Kelly had all the answers whenever his teammates needed them and even some for new head coach Dan Curran when he first came on board too.

Now, he’ll be asking as many questions as he can when talking to Bill Belichick.

On Monday afternoon, Kelly announced his commitment to UNC out of the transfer portal. Kelly will forever have the distinction of being Belichick’s first transfer recruit to sign in the new era for the Tar Heels.

Belichick coming on board sort of sealed the deal in the process, but the biggest thing before that news broke was trying to find a place to call home after living life in Worcester for the last five years.

“It seems almost impossible to put into words. Holy Cross is such a special place, and the people are the reason it’s so special. Leaving them behind is incredibly hard,” Kelly said in an interview on Tuesday. “But, every journey comes to an end and new chapters begin. I’m so grateful for my experience at Holy Cross and for all the people who impacted me…coaches, players, teachers and administrators. It truly is a one-of-a-kind place.

“One of the advantages of having been part of such a special program is that you know what to look for. Good people who love being part of a team, a program and a school. What we had that at Holy Cross and it was like catching lightning in a bottle. My decision to go to North Carolina feels like the same thing.”

Kelly hopes he’s the first of many to go all in with Belichick, Lombardi and the new UNC regime. But, more importantly, he believes in his ability to help lead the offense in the ACC because of his experience wearing the white and purple.

“I’ve been fortunate to be coached by some incredible people,” he said. “(Chris) Smith, (Chris) Zarkoskie and (Patrick) Denecke. They’ve all helped me get to where I am today. We’ve also competed against some unbelievable players and I’m excited for this next challenge.”

So, what’s it like being recruited by Bill Belichick? Well, Kelly’s circumstances are obviously a bit different than it will be for a true freshman coming in. With that being said, Kelly’s reasoning for choosing to ride with Belichick in these uncharted waters gives us a gauge of how strong the aura of football’s most famous coach still is. For those that believe he won’t be a great recruiter, it may be easier than you think.

“He’s an awesome person. He’s very down-to-earth and being recruited by the greatest coach of all time is probably the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Kelly said.

“It’s a pretty incredible experience, and I’m really excited to learn and grow under Coach Belichick. I feel so blessed to be in this position and I’m fired up to get started. He didn’t need to say much. The school and his reputation speaks for themselves.”

Kelly went on to further explain why he believes UNC was the right choice for him under Belichick’s leadership.