Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly at NFL.com

James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. He is generally considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League.

Kelly led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. In 2002, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early career

University of Miami and USFL

Kelly grew up in the small Pennsylvania town of East Brady, Pennsylvania. Kelly was drafted by the Buffalo Bills out of the University of Miami, where he had played an important role in helping build the University of Miami into one of the nation's premier collegiate football programs. Instead of joining the Bills, however, Kelly opted instead to join the fledgling United States Football League (USFL), where he played for the Houston Gamblers. In his 2 USFL seasons, he threw for 9,842 yards and 83 touchdowns.

Kelly was among the USFL's best passers, but the league folded due to financial troubles and its players were subsequently dispersed among existing NFL teams. Having retained Kelly's draft rights, the Bills welcomed Kelly with open arms upon the USFL's collapse.

Buffalo Bills

Kelly helped lead the Bills to emergence as one of the NFL's greatest teams of the 1990s. Buffalo made the playoffs in 8 of Kelly's 11 seasons as their starting quarterback. Kelly's primary wide receiver with the Bills, Andre Reed, also set numerous NFL records and is expected to enter the Hall of Fame following his eligibility for induction in 2006.

"No-Huddle Offense"

Kelly was perhaps best known for running the Bills' "No-Huddle Offense", which was a fast-paced offense that denied opposing defenses the opportunity to make timely substitutions. 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.

Records and accomplishments

Kelly holds the 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 Carolina Panthers. He recorded an NFL best 101.2 passer rating in 1990, led the league with 33 touchdowns passes in 1991, and made the pro bowl four times(1987, 1990, 1991, and 1992).

In his 4 Super Bowls, Kelly completed 81 of 145 passes for 829 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 7 interceptions. His 81 completions and 145 attempts are the second most in Super Bowl history behind 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 by Tom Brady's 32 completions in Super Bowl XXXVIII).

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. He also rushed for 1,049 yards and 7 touchdowns.

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

Personal

Kelly devoted much of his post-football life to his son, Hunter, who was diagnosed with Krabbe Leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease) and died because of it on August 5, 2005 at the age of eight. Kelly established an organization, Hunter's Hope, to raise funds to fight the disease.

Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbes' patients has vastly increased national awareness of the disease. Kelly and his wife, Jill, founded the annual Hunter's Day of Hope, which is held every year on February 14, which is the birthday of both Jim and Hunter Kelly.

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," said Kelly, as he choked back tears. "The toughest person I ever met in my life was my son, my hero, Hunter. I love you, buddy."

Kelly continues to reside in Orchard Park, New York, with his wife and children.

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