Jim Kelly

James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Kelly played college football at Miami, where he was the Offensive MVP of the 1981 Peach Bowl.

Jim Kelly
Kelly in 2010
No. 12
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1960-02-14) February 14, 1960
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:East Brady (PA)
College:Miami (FL)
NFL Draft:1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14
Career history
  • Houston Gamblers (1984–1985)
  • Buffalo Bills (1986–1996)
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-Pro (1991)
  • Second-team All-Pro (1992)
  • 5× Pro Bowl (1987, 1988, 1990–1992)
  • NFL passing touchdowns leader (1991)
  • NFL passer rating leader (1990)
  • NFL completion percentage leader (1990)
  • Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame
  • Buffalo Bills No. 12 retired
  • Peach Bowl champion (1980)
  • Peach Bowl Offensive MVP (1980)
  • University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame
  • NCAA Inspiration Award (2018)
USFL
  • 2× USFL All-League Team (1984, 1985)
  • USFL Most Valuable Player (1984)
  • USFL Rookie of the Year (1984)
  • USFL All-Time Team
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT:237–175
Yards:35,467
Passer rating:84.4
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

One of the six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Kelly was selected 14th overall by the Bills. He chose to sign with the Gamblers instead and did not play for the Bills until the USFL folded in 1986. Employing the "K-Gun" offense, known for its no-huddle shotgun formations, Kelly led one of the greatest NFL scoring juggernauts. From 1990 to 1993, he helped guide the Bills to a record four consecutive Super Bowls, although the team lost each game. Kelly was also named to five Pro Bowls and received first-team All-Pro honors in 1991.

Along with teammates Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith, Kelly is one of only three players to have his number retired by the Bills. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Early life

Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,[1][2][3] and grew up about 60 miles to the northeast, in East Brady. He was a standout at East Brady High School and won all-state honors after passing for 3,915 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 1 interception in his career.[4][5] After his senior year, Kelly played in the Big 33 Football Classic. Kelly also played basketball in high school, scoring over 1,000 points with six 30-plus-point games. As a senior, he led East Brady to the Pennsylvania Class 'A' basketball state quarterfinals, and averaged 23 points and 20 rebounds.[6][4]

College career

Kelly was offered a scholarship to play college football at Penn State University under coach Joe Paterno, but Paterno wanted Kelly at linebacker, not quarterback.[7] Instead, University of Miami head coach Lou Saban promised Kelly he would be playing quarterback, luring Kelly to South Florida. Kelly became an important piece in helping build the program into one of the nation's best. Kelly finished his career at Miami with 376 completions in 676 attempts for 5,228 yards and 33 touchdowns. He was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 1992.[8]

Statistics
Season Team Games Passing
GPRecordAttCmpPctYdsTDIntRate
1979Miami 115−61044846.272156108.7
1980Miami 129−320610952.91,519117125.7
1981Miami 119−228316859.42,4031414136.2
1982Miami 117−41155144.358531133.4
Career4530−1567637655.65,2283328128.4

Professional career

Houston Gamblers

Because of fellow quarterback John Elway's well-publicized reluctance to play for the Baltimore Colts, which chose him in the 1983 NFL Draft, Kelly's agent asked whether there were any teams he would not play for. Kelly, who disliked cold weather, listed the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Buffalo Bills. He was pleased to see while watching the 1983 draft on television that the Bills did not select him as the 12th pick in the first round, but learned from his agent that the team had another first-round pick; the Bills chose Kelly as the 14th pick. Although Kelly at the time stated that he had expected the Bills to choose him, he later said, "You have to say those things ... I cried. (Laughs) I didn't really literally cry. I just had tears. I'm like, 'You got to be kidding me.'"[9]

Although he believed that team owner Ralph Wilson would not bring in the right players to build a championship team,[7] Kelly was resigned to playing for the Bills. While meeting with the team to negotiate his contract, however, a Bills secretary mistakenly let Bruce Allen, general manager of the rival United States Football League's Chicago Blitz, reach Kelly on the telephone; Allen persuaded Kelly to leave the meeting. Kelly later claimed that the USFL offered him his choice of teams because of the league's interest in signing quarterbacks. He signed with the Houston Gamblers, who played in the climate-controlled Houston Astrodome, and said, "Would you rather be in Houston or Buffalo?"[9]

In two seasons in Houston, leading offensive coach Mouse Davis's run-and-shoot offense, Kelly threw for 9,842 yards, 83 touchdowns, and 45 interceptions with a 63% completion percentage for an average of 8.53 yards per attempt. He was the USFL MVP in 1984, when he set a league record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 touchdown passes. Kelly's USFL records eclipsed those of fellow league quarterbacks Doug Williams and Steve Young. When the Houston Gamblers folded, Kelly went to the New Jersey Generals and was slated as their starting quarterback. Kelly appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated while holding a Generals' helmet, but the league collapsed before he ever fielded a snap with the Generals.[10]

The Greatest Game No One Saw

Led by Kelly, the Houston Gamblers took on the Los Angeles Express and quarterback Steve Young, on February 24, 1985. The game was supposed to be televised by ABC, but they opted to cover Doug Flutie's debut with the New Jersey Generals instead. Only cameramen that worked for both teams were on hand to record the game. Houston raced out to an early lead, but the Express mounted a comeback that led to them being ahead 33–14 with just under ten minutes left in the game. Kelly led the Gamblers on a comeback that would see them pull off a 34–33 win, and in the end, Kelly threw for 574 yards.[11]

Kelly threw three touchdown passes in the last Gambler drives of the game, including what turned out to be the game winner, a 39-yard strike to receiver Ricky Sanders. The Express thought they had the game won, especially after safety Troy West picked off a Kelly pass, and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. The Gamblers got the ball back and it just took two plays for them to score, as Kelly tossed a pass to Richard Johnson that ended up being a 52-yard score. The drive took less than a minute. The Gamblers defense forced a punt, and the offense scored again, this time Kelly found receiver Vince Courville for a 20-yard strike. The drive was aided by a poor punt from Express punter Jeff Partridge that only netted 16 yards and allowed the Gamblers to take over at the Express 43 yard line.[12]

Kelly found Sanders for the go-ahead score, Sanders beating Troy West on the play. West had picked off two Kelly passes that day, but Kelly ended up with the last laugh. The Express were driving to get in range for their placekicker, Tony Zendejas to kick what had the potential to be the game winner. That was not to be as Young was picked off by Gamblers linebacker Mike Hawkins.[12]

Buffalo Bills
Kelly's #12 jersey exhibited at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kelly finally joined the Bills (who had retained his NFL rights) in 1986 after the USFL folded. He helped lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl XXV–Super Bowl XXVIII) and six divisional championships from 1988 to 1995. The Bills are both the only franchise to reach the Super Bowl four years in a row and to lose the Super Bowl four years in a row. Buffalo made the playoffs in eight of Kelly's 11 seasons as their starting quarterback. Kelly's primary 'go-to' wide receiver with the Bills, Andre Reed, ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in several receiving categories. Kelly and Reed connected for 65 touchdowns during their career together trailing only the tandems of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (112), Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, (87), Steve Young and Jerry Rice (85), Dan Marino and Mark Clayton (79), Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne (69), and Drew Brees and Marques Colston (68) for touchdowns by an NFL quarterback and receiver tandem.[13] Kelly, along with Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Scott Norwood, was the subject of the 30 for 30 film—Four Falls of Buffalo.[14]

Kelly retired after the 1996 NFL season due to injuries. After sitting out the 1997 season, in 1998 Kelly seriously considered an offer to sign with the Baltimore Ravens who were coached by his former offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda. Kelly declined the offer due to family reasons and stayed retired; the Ravens instead opted to trade with the Indianapolis Colts for Jim Harbaugh as the latter team prepared for the Peyton Manning era.[15]

"No-huddle offense"

Kelly ran the Bills' "K-Gun" no-huddle offense, which was a fast-paced offense named after tight end Keith McKeller, that denied opposing defenses the opportunity to make timely substitutions (the NFL later changed the rules in response to this to allow opposing defenses time to change formations under no-huddle situations, but this applied only if the offense made personnel substitutions). This offensive scheme called for multiple formation calls in a huddle, so that after each play was completed, the Bills would eschew a following huddle, instead lining up for the next play where Kelly would read the defense and audible the play. This led to mismatches and defensive communication breakdowns and, in the 1990s, established the Bills as one of the NFL's most successful and dangerous offenses, instrumental in leading Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

Career statistics

USFL
Year Team Games Passing
GPRecordCompAttPctYdsAvgTDIntRate
1984Houston Gamblers 1813−537058763.05,2198.9442698.2
1985Houston Gamblers 1810−836056763.54,6238.2391997.9
Career3623−137301,15463.39,8428.5834598.0

NFL
Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Year Team Games Passing
GPGSRecordCompAttPctYardsAvgTDIntRate
1986BUF 16164–1228548059.43,5937.5221783.3
1987BUF 12126–625041959.72,7986.7191183.8
1988BUF 161612–426945259.53,3807.5151778.2
1989BUF 13136–722839158.33,1308.0251886.2
1990BUF 141412–221934663.32,8298.2249101.2
1991BUF 151513–230447464.13,8448.1331797.6
1992BUF 161611–526946258.23,4577.5231981.2
1993BUF 161612–428847061.33,3827.2181879.9
1994BUF 14147–728544863.63,1147.0221784.6
1995BUF 151510–525545855.73,1306.8221381.1
1996BUF 13138–522237958.62,8107.4141973.2
Career160160101–592,8744,77960.135,4677.423717584.4

Records and accomplishments
Kelly's USFL jersey on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Kelly's Bills jersey on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kelly holds the 2nd all-time NFL record for most yards gained per completion in a single game (44), established on September 10, 1995 in the Bills' game against the expansion Carolina Panthers. He recorded an NFL-best 101.2 passer rating in 1990, led the league with 33 touchdown passes in 1991, (which remained a Bills record until 2020 when it was broken by Josh Allen) and made the Pro Bowl five times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992).

In his four Super Bowls, Kelly completed 81 of 145 passes for 829 yards and two touchdowns, with seven interceptions. His 81 completions are the fifth most in Super Bowl history behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Joe Montana. In Super Bowl XXVI, he set a record with 58 pass attempts, and in Super Bowl XXVIII he set a record with 31 completions (this was later surpassed).

Kelly finished his 11 NFL seasons with 2,874 completions in 4,779 attempts for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns, with 175 interceptions, all of which are Buffalo records excluding the interceptions. He also rushed for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns.[16]

Including his time in the NFL and USFL, he finished with over 45,000 passing yards and 320 touchdowns.[17] In 2001, the Buffalo Bills retired his number 12 jersey.[18]

On August 3, 2002, Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined during the first year he was eligible and headlined a class that also featured John Stallworth, Dan Hampton, Dave Casper, and George Allen. Fellow Hall of Fame member and former head coach Marv Levy was Kelly's presenter at the ceremony.[19]

As of the 2021 NFL season, Kelly is the last starting quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut and make it back to the big game.

Personal life
Jim Kelly at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, 2010.

Kelly resides in East Aurora, New York with his wife Jill and their daughters, Erin and Camryn.

Kelly devoted much of his post-football life to his son, Hunter James Kelly, who was diagnosed with globoid-cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease) shortly after his birth on February 14, 1997 (which was Kelly's 37th birthday). Hunter died as a result of this disease on August 5, 2005 at the age of 8.[20] To honor his son, Kelly established a non-profit organization in 1997: Hunter's Hope. Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbe patients has increased national awareness of the disease. He and his wife Jill founded the annual Hunter's Day of Hope, which is held on February 14, the birthdays of both Jim and Hunter Kelly. The Hunter James Kelly Research Institute was founded at the University at Buffalo in 2004, where neuroscientists and clinicians are studying myelin and its diseases. When Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, he dedicated his speech to Hunter. "It's been written that the trademark of my career was toughness," he said as he choked back tears. "The toughest person I ever met in my life was my hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."

Two of Kelly's nephews, both the sons of his younger brother Kevin, have also played quarterback. Chad Kelly played college football at the Division I level for the Clemson Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels and took part in the 2017 NFL Draft, in which he was selected last overall in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos, earning the honor of Mr. Irrelevant.[21] Casey Kelly, Chad's younger brother, played quarterback for national powerhouse Mallard Creek High School and graduated in 2019.[22][23] Casey Kelly also enrolled at Ole Miss, but chose to convert to tight end and play for the team as a walk-on.[24]

Kelly's father, Joe Kelly, died on August 21, 2017; his mother died in 1996.[25]

Kelly is a devout Christian, and has several business ventures, including Hall of Fame Life Promotions, a promotional company that is committed to donating a percentage of all of its proceeds to the Hunter's Hope Foundation. In 2011, Kelly founded Jim Kelly Inc. a company which produces the MyFanClip line of all-purpose clips which bear sports team logos and other insignia. MyFanClip has licensing agreements with the NFL, MLB, NHL and NASCAR. Proceeds also benefit the Hunter's Hope Foundation, his charity.

Jim Kelly speaking during StarGaze 1993 at Pilot Field

Kelly has hosted the annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic golf tournament since 1987 to benefit his Kelly for Kids Foundation. A public charity function called StarGaze was held from 1992 to 1995 to complement the golf tournament.

Since 1988, Kelly has run a football camp for youths between the ages of eight to 18 at the Buffalo Bills facilities. It started with 325 campers in its first year, growing to over 500 campers a year. This camp provides teaching from experienced coaches and previous players from all over the country. Kelly also participates in various drills with the participants.

Kelly owned and operated Sport City Grill restaurant with the attached Network nightclub on the ground floor of Main Place Tower in Buffalo from 1993 to 1996.[26][27]

On June 3, 2013, Kelly announced that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, in his upper jaw. He underwent surgery at a Buffalo hospital on June 7.[20] Kelly reported to news outlets shortly after his surgery that the procedure was successful and he was now cancer-free.[28] On March 14, 2014, after a follow-up test at the Erie County Medical Center, it was announced that Kelly's cancer had recurred, and that he would begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment.[29] It was announced on August 20, 2014 that doctors could no longer find evidence of cancer.[30]

On November 1, 2014, Kelly announced he had contracted MRSA within his bones, three months after being declared cancer-free. A few weeks after the announcement, Kelly said he was MRSA-free.[31]

Kelly announced in March 2018 that the cancer had returned.[32] He underwent surgery that month to remove the cancer and reconstruct his upper jaw.[33] In June 2018, it was announced that Kelly would receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2018 ESPYs.[33] In late June 2018, Kelly returned to a New York City hospital for additional surgery.

On January 18, 2019, Jill Kelly announced on Instagram that Jim was cancer free.[34]

See also
  • List of most wins by a National Football League starting quarterback

References
  1. "Jim Kelly". NFL.com. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  2. "Jim Kelly". buffalobills.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007.
  3. "NFL - Players Rosters - National Football League - ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  4. "East Brady, PA: The High School Years". jimkelly.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  5. "East Brady, PA: The High School Years". Archived from the original on November 12, 2007.
  6. "Boys Class A Bracket" (PDF). piaa.org. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  7. Neumann, Thomas (October 14, 2010). "Jim Kelly talks football, life, wrestling". ESPN Page 2. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  8. "University of Miami... Quarterback U". Archived from the original on November 12, 2007.
  9. "Elway to Marino". 30 for 30. Season 2. April 23, 2013. ESPN.
  10. "Jim Kelly, Football, New Jersey Generals". Sports Illustrated (SI Vault). July 21, 1986. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  11. "Sports Illustrated Called It "The Greatest Game No One Saw"". May 24, 2017.
  12. "Kelly's Fifth Touchdown Pass Beats Express, 34-33". Los Angeles Times. February 25, 1985.
  13. "From East Brady to Canton..." Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. "Four Falls of Buffalo - ESPN Films: 30 for 30". ESPN.
  15. "Kelly Stays Retired; Ravens Get Harbaugh".
  16. "Jim Kelly". NFL.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  17. "Hall of Famers". profootballhof.com. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  18. "The Buffalo Bills will retire a number for only the second time". Fox Sports. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  19. "2002 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration Coverage". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  20. Wawrow, John. "Former Bills QB Kelly battling cancer of the jaw". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  21. "Nkemdiche has surprise TD in 76-3 win for No. 17 Ole Miss". USA Today.
  22. Fornelli, Tom (October 7, 2016). "WATCH: Ole Miss' Chad Kelly storms field during brawl at brother's high school game". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  23. "Led by another Kelly, St. Joe's triumps". The Buffalo News. September 2, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  24. "Like brother, Casey Kelly headed for Ole Miss". The Buffalo News. May 3, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  25. "Instagram post by Jim Kelly • Aug 22, 2017 at 3:10am UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
  26. "KELLY CONTROLS NETWORK, SPORTS BAR". Buffalo News. May 19, 1995. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  27. Herbeck, Dan; Vogel, Mike; Cardinale, Anthony; Vogel, Mike; Anderson, Dale; Vogel, Mike; Batzer, Dick; O'Brien, Barbara; Vogel, Mike; Buyer, Bob; Vogel, Mike; Raeke, Carolyn; Vogel, Mike; Condren, Dave; Vogel, Mike; Herbeck, Dan; Vogel, Mike; Warner, Gene (March 29, 1996). "KELLY'S NETWORK CLOSES DESPITE CITY EFFORTS". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  28. "Jim Kelly: I'm now 'cancer-free'". ESPN. June 24, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  29. "Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly's cancer returns". cbc.ca. March 14, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  30. "Doctor: No evidence of cancer for Jim Kelly". USA Today.
  31. "Report: Jim Kelly says he has MRSA infection". USA Today. November 1, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  32. Mike Rodak (March 1, 2018). "Jim Kelly to begin treatments after oral cancer returns". ESPN. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  33. Rodak, Mike. "Jim Kelly to be honored with Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at ESPYS". ESPN. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  34. Lott, Thomas (January 18, 2019). "Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly reveals he is cancer free once again". Sporting News. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
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