 |
Quarterback Jim Kelly had his greatest success in the '90s, taking his Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls, but he got his start in the '80s. Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buffalo-Bills (May be subject to copyright) |
It would take some time, and a circuitous journey through pro football but, before the end of the ‘80s, Jim Kelly had in fact joined the Bills. He then proceeded to put the franchise in a position to achieve the success it did.
I recently watched the “A Football Life” of Jim Kelly, and it reminded me of a time when I actually rooted for him, and why I stopped.
Quarterback U
It wasn’t really until I saw his picture in a Miami Hurricane uniform in a football periodical, that I learned Jim Kelly played his college football there.
It wasn’t really until I saw his picture in a Miami Hurricane uniform in a football periodical, that I learned Jim Kelly played his college football there.
When he arrived at Coral Gables there was not much of a program. However, he would turn it around, paving the way for all those quarterbacks to follow – Bernie Kosar; Vinny Testaverde; Steve Walsh; Craig Erickson: Gino Torretta – the ones who gave Miami the nickname “Quarterback U”.
Kelly's first season was 1979 and went as expected for the lowly Hurricanes, who finished with a 5-6 record. The turn around would start the next year, as the Hurricanes went 9-3 in the 1980 season, including a trip to the Peach Bowl where they defeated the Virginia Tech Gobblers, who are now the Hokies, by a score of 20-10. Kelly was named the offensive most valuable player of that game.
The Hurricanes would finish with a 9-2 record in 1981 and a 7-4 record in 1982, but fail to get an invitation to another bowl game, which was much more difficult back then.
Kelly entered the 1983 NFL Draft hoping he would not be selected by a team that played in cold weather such as Green Bay, Minnesota, or Buffalo. However, the Bills took him with the 14th pick.
He was resigned to the fact he would play for the Bills, until another opportunity came along.
That’s when he uttered that famous assertion he would never play for the Buffalo Bills.
Instead, when he got another offer, he made the most of it.
Gamblin’ man
The United States Football League had begun operation in 1983. It was a professional league that played in the Spring so it did not compete with he NFL.
The United States Football League had begun operation in 1983. It was a professional league that played in the Spring so it did not compete with he NFL.
It did compete with the NFL for players, and its Houston Gamblers franchise was successful in signing Jim Kelly as their quarterback. He got his wish, playing in good weather, the perfect climate of the Houston Astrodome. Kelly would play two seasons for the Gamblers in 1984 and 1985, and was set to play for the New Jersey Generals in 1986, after Houston merged with New Jersey, but the whole league folded.
The Gamblers had Mouse Davis, most recently of Toronto Argonauts fame, as their offensive coordinator with his vaunted run and shoot offence. It fit Kelly’s style perfectly.
In 1984, he appeared in 18 games, completing 370 of 587 passes for league records 5,219 yards and 44 touchdowns, to go along with 26 interceptions. He was the league’s most valuable player, rookie of the year, and a member of the USFL All-League team.
The Gamblers finished 13-5, good enough for first place in the Central Division of the Western Conference. They lost by a score of 17-16 in the Divisional Playoff to the Arizona Wranglers.
In 1985, he again appeared in all 18 regular season games, completing 360 of 567 passes for 4,623 yards, 39 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He was again named to the USFL All-League team.
That season, Kelly and his Houston Gamblers locked horns with Steve Young and the Los Angeles Express in “The Greatest Game No One Saw”. They generated more than 900 yards of total offence, and went back and forth right until the very end. However, ABC opted not to cover the game in favour of covering Doug Flutie’s debut with the New Jersey Generals. It was “Sports Illustrated” who dubbed the contest “The Greatest Game No One Saw”.
Houston finished with a record of 10-8 for third place in the Western Conference. They qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard, meeting the Birmingham Stallions in the league quarter-finals which the Gamblers lost by a score of 22-20.
The USFL folded after the 1985 season. Jim Kelly’s final USFL totals were 730 completions on 1,154 attempts for 9,842 yards, 83 touchdowns, 45 interceptions, a completion percentage of 63.3 and an 8.3-yard average.
The Buffalo Bills had held onto his rights so, after vowing never to play there, Jim Kelly was going to play for the Buffalo Bills.
Rocky start
I remember when Jim Kelly signed with the Bills. He joked about wanting a solid offensive line. When he came into the NFL I heard he had been sacked 82 times, and rushed for like 400 yards and he was not a running quarterback. I found the actual stats and they are much more brutal. He was sacked 75 times for a loss of 450 yards in 1984 and 35 times for a loss of 247 yards in 1985, for a total of 110 sacks losing 697 yards – in two seasons. His actual rushing totals were 663 yards on 113 attempts and six touchdowns.
I remember when Jim Kelly signed with the Bills. He joked about wanting a solid offensive line. When he came into the NFL I heard he had been sacked 82 times, and rushed for like 400 yards and he was not a running quarterback. I found the actual stats and they are much more brutal. He was sacked 75 times for a loss of 450 yards in 1984 and 35 times for a loss of 247 yards in 1985, for a total of 110 sacks losing 697 yards – in two seasons. His actual rushing totals were 663 yards on 113 attempts and six touchdowns.
He had truly been a quarterback under siege.
Things did not get much better in 1986, Jim Kelly’s first season in the NFL, as he was sacked 43 times for a loss of 330 yards.
The Bills went 4-12, incredibly finishing fourth, not last, in the AFC East, and out of the playoffs. My beloved Indianapolis Colts finished last, with a 3-13 record. Kelly went 285 of 480 for 3,593 yards, 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Tracking Jim Kelly
I had always been interested in how Jim Kelly was doing in the NFL but, without access to a newspaper or cable TV, and the fact the Bills were terrible and never on national TV, I didn’t get to track any of Kelly’s performance in 1986.
I had always been interested in how Jim Kelly was doing in the NFL but, without access to a newspaper or cable TV, and the fact the Bills were terrible and never on national TV, I didn’t get to track any of Kelly’s performance in 1986.
That all changed in 1987, when I went to the University of Alberta and lived in the student residence. There we got the Edmonton Journal and the Edmonton Sun every day.
I recall scooping up the floor’s copy of the Edmonton Journal to see how Jim Kelly was doing, how they had moved to 2-0 and how he hit Ronnie Harmon, another guy I watched in college at Iowa, for a touchdown pass.
The Bills had a better year in 1987, going 7-8 and again finishing fourth, behind the Colts who won the AFC East with a record of 9-6.
Jim Kelly was named to his first Pro Bowl as well in 1987, completing 250 of 419 passes for 2,798 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was sacked 27 times, losing 239 yards.
The Bills had improved from the year before, and were poised to get a lot better.
Turning point
The Bills took a massive leap forward in the 1988 season, going 12-4, winning their first AFC East title since 1980, and advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 1981. They faced the Houston Oilers, winners of the AFC Wild Card Game, in an AFC Divisional Game, winning by a score of 17-10. The win put the Bills in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who won by a score of 21-10.
The Bills took a massive leap forward in the 1988 season, going 12-4, winning their first AFC East title since 1980, and advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 1981. They faced the Houston Oilers, winners of the AFC Wild Card Game, in an AFC Divisional Game, winning by a score of 17-10. The win put the Bills in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who won by a score of 21-10.
Kelly was named to his second straight Pro Bowl in 1988, completing 269 of 452 passes for 3,380 yards, 15 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He was also sacked 30 times, losing 229 yards.
It’s all about character
In 1989, things looked bright for the Buffalo Bills. They had come within one game of the Super Bowl, and looked to take that next step. However, Kelly had some injuries and the team struggled at times, finishing first in the AFC East with a 9-7 record, one game ahead of the Colts who were 8-8.
In 1989, things looked bright for the Buffalo Bills. They had come within one game of the Super Bowl, and looked to take that next step. However, Kelly had some injuries and the team struggled at times, finishing first in the AFC East with a 9-7 record, one game ahead of the Colts who were 8-8.
Kelly played in 13 games and was 6-7 as a starter. He went 228 for 391 for 3,130 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. He was again sacked 30 times, losing 216 yards.
Still, the Bills had made the playoffs and had the experience from the year before. Awaiting the Bills in the AFC Divisional Game was the Cleveland Browns, who were also looking for some redemption after playoff heartbreak the previous three seasons.
Sadly, something came up and I missed this game, which was too bad because at that time I had become a Browns fan. I hoped for them to make it back to the AFC Championship Game for the third time in four years.
When I got back to res, I immediately checked on the game and found out something that changed my views on things. The Browns had won by a score of 34-30 in a close game. The Bills had a chance late to win it, driving into Cleveland territory before the Browns stopped them.
Apparently, after the game Jim Kelly blamed everyone else for the loss.
That was really disappointing, and showed a lot about his character.
He was no longer a player I could root for.
The years after
The success at the end of the 1980s set the stage for the Bills incredible run to start the 1990s. They appeared in four straight Super Bowls in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. They lost all four but what an incredible achievement to be the only team in NFL history to make it to four straight Super Bowls.
The success at the end of the 1980s set the stage for the Bills incredible run to start the 1990s. They appeared in four straight Super Bowls in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. They lost all four but what an incredible achievement to be the only team in NFL history to make it to four straight Super Bowls.
Kelly retired after the 1996 season, as injuries caught up to him. He finished with career totals of 2,874 of 4,779 for 35,467 yards, 237 touchdowns and 175 interceptions.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Parting thoughts
My opinion of Jim Kelly changed quite a bit when I saw him on “A Football Life”. It turns out, teammate Thurman Thomas called him out on his attitude, and it brought the team together.
My opinion of Jim Kelly changed quite a bit when I saw him on “A Football Life”. It turns out, teammate Thurman Thomas called him out on his attitude, and it brought the team together.
He also had a son born with a rare disease that ultimately took his life at the age of eight. He committed a great deal of time and energy in raising awareness of that disease, and in helping people.
Jim Kelly also found God, and has battled cancer several times, beating it every time.
One of the coolest pictures in “A Football Life” is Jim Kelly in a hospital bed being visited by two or three people including Dan Marino, who had been a long rival.
So, in the end I have come back around
I root for Jim Kelly once again.
Not because of football, but because of everything he has done since football.
No comments:
Post a Comment