Jim Kelly
Encyclopedia
James Edward Kelly is a former American football
quarterback
in the NFL
for the Buffalo Bills
and the USFL's Houston Gamblers
.
Kelly was the third quarterback drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft
, the same draft class where John Elway
was first overall. Employing the K-Gun offense known for its hurry up shotgun formations, used by later teams like Peyton Manning
's Indianapolis Colts
, and leading one of the great NFL scoring juggernauts in the Buffalo Bills
, Kelly led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl
s in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993. In 2002, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
, about 55 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. He was a standout at East Brady High School, where during his high school career he won all-state honors after passing for 3,915 yards and 44 touchdowns. After his senior year, Kelly played in the Big 33 Football Classic
.
Kelly also played basketball
in high school, scoring over 1,000 points in his high school basketball career and had six 30+ point games. As a senior he led East Brady to the basketball state semifinals and averaged 23 points and 20 rebounds.
, but he was not offered a quarterback scholarship, instead offering him a scholarship at linebacker.
His brother, Pat, already an NFL player, advised Jim to look for a school offering a quarterback scholarship instead. He went to the University of Miami
. At Miami, he played an important role in helping build the University of Miami into one of the nation's premier collegiate football programs. He finished his career at Miami with 406 completions in 646 attempts for 5,233 yards and 32 TDs. This performance earned Kelly a place in the University of Miami Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1992.
selected Kelly in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft
, but because of the Bills' poor attendance and the cold weather, he instead signed with the Houston Gamblers
of the rival United States Football League
. In two seasons in Houston, running coach Mouse Davis
' run-and-shoot offense, he threw for 9,842 yards and 83 touchdowns, completing 63% with an average of 8.53 yards per attempt with 45 interceptions. He was the USFL MVP in 1984, when he set a league record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 TD 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 also appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated while holding a Generals' helmet, but the league collapsed before he ever saw a snap with the Generals.
, ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in several receiving categories. Kelly and Reed connected for 65 TD's during their career together trailing only the tandems of Peyton Manning
and Marvin Harrison
(112), Steve Young and Jerry Rice
(85), Peyton Manning
and Reggie Wayne
(69) and Dan Marino
and Mark Clayton (79) for touchdowns by an NFL Quarterback/Receiver tandem.
. 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 four 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
and by Drew Brees in Super Bowl XLIV).
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.
Including his time in the NFL and USFL, he finished with over 45,000 passing yards and 320 touchdowns.
On August 3, 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 that 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.
Key to Abbreviations
GP =Games Played
Rec =Quarterback Record
Att =Passes attempted
Com =Passes Completed
Pct =Completion percentage
Yds =Yards
TD =Touchdowns
Int =Interceptions
Rate =Passer rating
) shortly after his birth on February 14, 1997. Hunter died as a result of this disease on August 5, 2005 at the age of 8; a loss that affected Kelly deeply.
To honor his son, Kelly established a non-profit organization in 1997 (Hunter's Hope). Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbes' patients has increased national awareness of the disease. Kelly 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.
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 hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."
Kelly continues to reside in East Aurora, New York, with his wife, Jill, and daughters, Erin and Camryn.
He 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.
Since 1988 Jim Kelly has been running a football camp for youths at the Buffalo Bills facilities. It's for kids between the ages of 8 and 18. It started with 325 campers in its first year, to now over 500 campers a year. This camp provides teaching from experienced coaches and previous players from all over the country. Jim even participates in various drills with the kids.
Kelly has expressed interest in being, at least in part, owner of the Buffalo Bills when current owner Ralph Wilson no longer holds the title to the franchise. He has committed to doing what he can to keep the Buffalo Bills in Western New York.
Kelly is the uncle of Chad Kelly, a highly rated high school quarterback prospect and punter who is committed to the Clemson Tigers football
team.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the USFL's Houston Gamblers
Houston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons...
.
Kelly was the third quarterback drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
, the same draft class where John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
was first overall. Employing the K-Gun offense known for its hurry up shotgun formations, used by later teams like Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
's Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, and leading one of the great NFL scoring juggernauts in the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Kelly led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993. In 2002, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
East Brady High School
Kelly grew up in the small town of East Brady, PennsylvaniaEast Brady, Pennsylvania
East Brady is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh DMA. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.-History:East Brady is named after Captain Samuel Brady, who fought with Native Americans at that location....
, about 55 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. He was a standout at East Brady High School, where during his high school career he won all-state honors after passing for 3,915 yards and 44 touchdowns. After his senior year, Kelly played in the Big 33 Football Classic
Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." The last 14 contests have pitted players from Pennsylvania against players...
.
Kelly also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in high school, scoring over 1,000 points in his high school basketball career and had six 30+ point games. As a senior he led East Brady to the basketball state semifinals and averaged 23 points and 20 rebounds.
University of Miami
Kelly wanted to attend Penn State under Joe PaternoJoe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
, but he was not offered a quarterback scholarship, instead offering him a scholarship at linebacker.
His brother, Pat, already an NFL player, advised Jim to look for a school offering a quarterback scholarship instead. He went to the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. At Miami, he played an important role in helping build the University of Miami into one of the nation's premier collegiate football programs. He finished his career at Miami with 406 completions in 646 attempts for 5,233 yards and 32 TDs. This performance earned Kelly a place in the University of Miami Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1992.
USFL
The Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected Kelly in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
, but because of the Bills' poor attendance and the cold weather, he instead signed with the Houston Gamblers
Houston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons...
of the rival United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. In two seasons in Houston, running coach Mouse Davis
Mouse Davis
Darrel "Mouse" Davis is an American football coach and former player. A veteran coach at the high school, college, and professional levels, he is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Davis served as the head football coach at Portland State University from...
' run-and-shoot offense, he threw for 9,842 yards and 83 touchdowns, completing 63% with an average of 8.53 yards per attempt with 45 interceptions. He was the USFL MVP in 1984, when he set a league record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 TD 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
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
and was slated as their starting quarterback. Kelly also appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated while holding a Generals' helmet, but the league collapsed before he ever saw a snap with the Generals.
Buffalo Bills
Kelly finally joined the Bills (who had retained his NFL rights) in 1986 after the USFL folded. He helped lead the Bills to 4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances and 5 divisional championships from 1989 to 1995. Buffalo made the playoffs in 8 of Kelly's 11 seasons as their starting quarterback. Kelly's primary 'go-to' wide receiver with the Bills, Andre ReedAndre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
, ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in several receiving categories. Kelly and Reed connected for 65 TD's during their career together trailing only the tandems of Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
(112), Steve Young and Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
(85), Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
(69) and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
and Mark Clayton (79) for touchdowns by an NFL Quarterback/Receiver tandem.
"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.) 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.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 PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. 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
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
four times (1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
, 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, and 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
).
In his four 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
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
. In Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
, he set a record with 58 pass attempts, and in Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
he set a record with 31 completions (this was later surpassed by Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
's 32 completions in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
and by Drew Brees in Super Bowl XLIV).
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.
Including his time in the NFL and USFL, he finished with over 45,000 passing yards and 320 touchdowns.
On August 3, 2002, Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. Kelly was enshrined during the first year he was eligible, and headlined a class that also featured John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
, Dan Hampton
Dan Hampton
Daniel Oliver Hampton also known as "Danimal" is a retired Hall of Fame American football defensive tackle who played twelve seasons for the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990 in the National Football League. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002...
, Dave Casper
Dave Casper
David John Casper , nicknamed "The Ghost." is a former American football player. He was an offensive lineman and tight end.-High school:...
, and George Allen
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
. Fellow Hall of Famer and former head coach, Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, was Kelly's presenter at the ceremony.
Career statistics
NFL| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Att | Com | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 4-12-0 | 480 | 285 | 59.4 | 3,593 | 22 | 17 | 83.3 |
| 1987 | Buffalo Bills | 12 | 6-6-0 | 419 | 250 | 59.7 | 2,798 | 19 | 11 | 83.8 |
| 1988 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 12-4-0 | 452 | 269 | 59.5 | 3,380 | 15 | 17 | 78.2 |
| 1989 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | 6-7-0 | 391 | 228 | 58.3 | 3,130 | 25 | 18 | 86.2 |
| 1990 | Buffalo Bills | 14 | 12-2-0 | 346 | 219 | 63.3 | 2,829 | 24 | 9 | 101.2 |
| 1991 | Buffalo Bills | 15 | 13-2-0 | 474 | 304 | 64.1 | 3,844 | 33 | 17 | 97.6 |
| 1992 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 11-5-0 | 462 | 269 | 58.2 | 3,457 | 23 | 19 | 81.2 |
| 1993 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 12-4-0 | 470 | 288 | 61.3 | 3,382 | 18 | 18 | 79.9 |
| 1994 | Buffalo Bills | 14 | 7-7-0 | 448 | 285 | 63.6 | 3,114 | 22 | 17 | 84.6 |
| 1995 | Buffalo Bills | 15 | 10-5-0 | 458 | 255 | 55.7 | 3,130 | 22 | 13 | 81.1 |
| 1996 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | 8-5-0 | 379 | 222 | 58.6 | 2,810 | 14 | 19 | 73.2 |
| Career Totals | | 160 | 101-59 | 4,779 | 2,874 | 60.1 | 35,467 | 237 | 175 | 84.4 |
Key to Abbreviations
GP =Games Played
Rec =Quarterback Record
Att =Passes attempted
Com =Passes Completed
Pct =Completion percentage
Yds =Yards
TD =Touchdowns
Int =Interceptions
Rate =Passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
Every game with two 400 or more yard quarterbacks
| Rank | Quarterback | Date | Game | Attempts | Comp | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... Chad Henne Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan... |
9/12/2011 | New England Patriots: 38 Miami Dolphins: 24 |
48 49 |
32 30 |
517 416 |
4 2 |
1 1 |
121.6 93.6 |
| Total: | 62 Points | 97 | 62 | 933 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 2 | Ken O'Brien Ken O'Brien Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most... Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... |
9/21/1986 | New York Jets: 51 Miami Dolphins: 45 |
43 50 |
29 30 |
479 448 |
4 6 |
1 2 |
126.0 112.3 |
| Total: | 96 Points | 93 | 59 | 927 | 10 | 3 | |||
| 3 | Matt Schaub Matt Schaub Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:... Donovan McNabb Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played... |
9/19/2010 | Houston Texans: 30 Washington Redskins: 27 |
52 38 |
38 28 |
497 426 |
3 1 |
1 0 |
114.0 119.0 |
| Total: | 57 Points | 90 | 66 | 923 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 4 | Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... Drew Bledsoe Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise... |
9/4/1994 | Miami Dolphins: 39 New England Patriots: 35 |
42 51 |
23 32 |
473 421 |
5 4 |
1 2 |
124.3 96.6 |
| Total: | 74 Points | 93 | 55 | 894 | 9 | 3 | |||
| 5 | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... Steve Young |
9/13/1992 | Buffalo Bills: 34 San Francisco 49ers: 31 |
33 37 |
22 26 |
403 449 |
3 3 |
1 1 |
126.2 127.0 |
| Total: | 65 Points | 70 | 48 | 852 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 6 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Ken Anderson |
12/20/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 50 Cincinnati Bengals: 34 |
40 56 |
25 40 |
435 416 |
1 2 |
2 1 |
87.0 97.0 |
| Total: | 84 Points | 96 | 65 | 851 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 7 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Don Strock Don Strock Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973... |
1/2/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 41 Miami Dolphins: 38 The Epic in Miami The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl... |
53 43 |
33 29 |
433 403 |
3 4 |
1 1 |
116.2 118.7 |
| Total: | 79 Points | 96 | 62 | 836 | 7 | 2 |
Personal life
Kelly devoted much of his post-football life to his son, Hunter James Kelly, who was diagnosed with Globoid-Cell Leukodystrophy (Krabbe diseaseKrabbe disease
Krabbe disease is a rare, often fatal degenerative disorder that affects the myelin sheath of the nervous system. This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern...
) shortly after his birth on February 14, 1997. Hunter died as a result of this disease on August 5, 2005 at the age of 8; a loss that affected Kelly deeply.
To honor his son, Kelly established a non-profit organization in 1997 (Hunter's Hope). Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbes' patients has increased national awareness of the disease. Kelly 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.
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 hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."
Kelly continues to reside in East Aurora, New York, with his wife, Jill, and daughters, Erin and Camryn.
He 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.
Since 1988 Jim Kelly has been running a football camp for youths at the Buffalo Bills facilities. It's for kids between the ages of 8 and 18. It started with 325 campers in its first year, to now over 500 campers a year. This camp provides teaching from experienced coaches and previous players from all over the country. Jim even participates in various drills with the kids.
Kelly has expressed interest in being, at least in part, owner of the Buffalo Bills when current owner Ralph Wilson no longer holds the title to the franchise. He has committed to doing what he can to keep the Buffalo Bills in Western New York.
Kelly is the uncle of Chad Kelly, a highly rated high school quarterback prospect and punter who is committed to the Clemson Tigers football
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
team.
External links
- Jim Kelly profile at Pro Football Hall of Fame
- "Hunter's Hope" Official Website
- Jim Kelly profile at Notable Names Database