Nick Kelly Named First Ever Dubuque Miners Man of the Year
Some awards recognize statistics.
Some recognize championships.
Some recognize what happens between the white lines.
The Dubuque Miners Man of the Year Award was created to recognize something bigger.
And there could not have been a better person to receive it first.
Setting the Standard
At the conclusion of the 2026 season, #69 Nick Kelly was named the first ever recipient of the Dubuque Miners Man of the Year Award.
Nick has been a captain, an anchor on the offensive line, an All-League player and one of the most dependable members of the Miners roster.
But none of those things are the primary reason his name now sits at the top of this award’s history.
Nick Kelly received the Man of the Year Award because of the kind of man he is.
Whenever something needs to be done, Nick is there.
It doesn’t matter whether it is practice, game day, a community event, a fundraiser, work behind the scenes or simply helping another person who needs a hand.
He shows up.
There is rarely a question of whether Nick will help.
The answer is usually already yes.
A Teammate Beyond Football
The impact Nick has made on his teammates extends far beyond football.
Over the course of his time with the Miners, he has helped teammates in countless ways outside the game, offering his time, his support, his resources and sometimes simply being the person somebody knows they can call.
That kind of leadership cannot be measured on a stat sheet.
There isn’t a column for loyalty.
There isn’t a statistic for showing up when someone is struggling.
There isn’t a box score that measures the impact one person can have on the people around him.
But within a locker room, those things matter.
And Nick has become one of those people every organization hopes it is fortunate enough to have.
More Than One Kelly Has Made an Impact
Nick’s commitment to the Miners has never existed in isolation.
The Kelly family has become part of the fabric of this organization.
Nick’s wife, Krystal, has spent countless hours documenting the story of the Dubuque Miners through her work as the team’s photographer.
Their daughter Dixie, “Weapon X”, has become a familiar face around practices and game days, growing up on the sidelines as part of the Miners family.
When the organization needed support, the Kelly family was there.
When there was an event, they were there.
When something needed to be done, they found a way to help.
That investment means more than words can adequately describe.
What the Award Was Built to Represent
The Man of the Year Award was created around the values the Dubuque Miners want to represent:
Grit. Ownership. Leadership. Determination. Service.
It is meant for the person who understands that wearing a Miners jersey means more than playing football.
It means representing your teammates.
Representing your family.
Representing this organization.
And representing the community whose name is across the front of that jersey.
Nick Kelly embodies those values.
Not because somebody asked him to.
Not because there was an award waiting at the end of the season.
Because that is simply who he is.
The First Name in the History Books
There will be more recipients of this award.
Years from now, there will hopefully be a long list of deserving men whose names are forever connected to the Dubuque Miners Man of the Year Award.
Our vision is for the award to eventually grow beyond football as well, including the creation of a Man of the Year Scholarship that can recognize and support a young person in our community who demonstrates the same qualities of leadership, character, perseverance and service.
But no matter how large this award becomes, one thing will never change.
There will always be a first.
The first person who established what the award was supposed to mean.
The first name that every future recipient will follow.
That name is Nick Kelly.
And we could not have asked for anyone better to set the standard.
#69 Nick Kelly
2026 Dubuque Miners Man of the Year
First Ever Recipient
Football will eventually end.
Character doesn’t.
And the impact you leave on the people around you lasts far longer than anything that happens on a scoreboard.
Congratulations, Nick. You earned this one.
Built by the Community. Held to the Gold Standard. Dubuque Always.