Former Bills QB Jim Kelly (12) - Rick Stewart/Allsport
Jim Kelly was a legend on the NFL gridiron, leading the Buffalo Bills to four straight Superbowls. The quarterback led one of the league’s most dangerous offensive attacks in league history, known as the “K-Gun” offense.
This offense was unlike any other, and with stars around him such as Thurman Thomas (running back) and Andre Reed (wide receiver), the Bills could attack a defense with different formations and calls to confuse the opposing unit.
Let’s take a look at how it all came to be.
Spotlight: Jim Kelly Growing up in Pittsburgh
James Edward Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 14, 1960. He grew up in East Brady, a suburb about an hour from the Steel City.
Kelly knew growing up that he desired to become a quarterback. If he wanted to eventually become a professional signal caller, why not start it in the state of Pennsylvania? Plus, it comes with rewards and perks.
It has landed some notable quarterbacks who have already played in the NFL, including Joe Montana, Joe Namath, and Dan Marino.
East Brady High School
Kelly was a star quarterback for his hometown high school. He was successful running the wishbone and veer offenses. By the time he was six feet tall and nearly 200 pounds, the signal-caller became more of a dual threat.
He blew away the stats, throwing for almost 4,000 yards, 44 touchdowns, and just one interception. Additionally, he played as a two-way player, playing quarterback and linebacker due to a lack of active players.
As his high school career wrapped up, Kelly was chosen to participate in the Big 33 Football Classic. It was known as a high school showcase featuring the top players from Pennsylvania against players from other states.
Kelly also played basketball as a senior. He averaged a respectable 20 points and an astounding 20 rebounds. Under Kelly, the East Brady Varsity basketball team reached the state quarterfinals but lost.
Saying “No” to Joe Paterno
By the time he was recruited, Kelly had developed into a speedy arm quarterback and a bruising linebacker. Kelly was recruited by his home state school, Penn State, but head coach Joe Paterno wanted him to start as a linebacker.
This was fine, but the problem was Kelly wanted to play quarterback, so he turned down attending Penn State. Then, the Miami Hurricanes came calling. Former Buffalo Bills coach Lou Saban was rebuilding a program that, at the time, was falling off the national map.
Saban saw Kelly as an opportunity to get his program back up and running. So, Saban and his assistant took a trip to recruit the talented quarterback.
Saban whipped up a nice homecooked meal for the family and sat and talked with the parents and brother Pat. Because the program was struggling and looking for a quarterback to turn it around, Saban offered Kelly a scholarship to play for the Hurricanes as a quarterback.
It’s All About the U
Kelly redshirted his freshman year in 1978 to study the Hurricane offense. After that season, Saban became the head coach at Army. Frustrated by his coach leaving, Kelly almost bailed, too. He was contemplating a transfer to the University of Tennessee.
But then, former Miami Dolphins OC Howard Schnellenberger took over the Canes program as head coach and convinced Kelly he would be running his offense. Kelly stayed and was rewarded with playing time in 1979. While Miami won just five contests, one was a top 25 upset of Paterno’s Penn State team, ranked 19th in the country.
First Bowl Game Win
Kelly broke out in 1980, throwing for 1,519 yards, and tied a program-best 11 touchdowns while throwing only seven interceptions. All of this, plus Schnellenberger’s coaching, helped Miami earn nine victories for the first time since 1950.
The squad participated in the Peach Bowl, their first appearance since 1967. In the 20-10 win over VA Tech, Kelly was pleased with throwing for 179 yards, a touchdown, and threw one interception.
Revenge of Penn State and Injury
Miami in 1981 went 9-2, and Kelly bettered himself as a quarterback. He threw for 2,403 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
One of the team’s most memorable moments of the season was the upset of the #1 Nittany Lions and coach “Pa” by Kelly and the Hurricanes. The game was played on Halloween night with an eerie vibe in the air. Originally, Paterno wanted Kelly to come to play linebacker for Penn State, but Kelly spawned them and ended up choosing Miami to play quarterback, which, in the end, worked out.
The final score was 17-14, Miami.
Kelly’s senior campaign ended with a season-ending injury that would terminate his college career.
“I totally blew up my shoulder in the third game of the season against Virginia Tech,” said Kelly.
Nevertheless, there was enough on tape to like what Kelly could do as a pro quarterback.
Spotlight: Jim Kelly 1983 Draft
Because of the public fiasco of John Elway’s refusal to sign with the Baltimore Colts, Kelly was asked to list some NFL teams he didn’t want to get drafted to. One of them was the Buffalo Bills. He didn’t want to go to Buffalo because it was snowy and too cold in the winter.
The Bills drafted Kelly number 14 overall in 1983 and he had an opportunity to sign with the NFL club right away. Instead, Kelly left to play in the USFL and chose to play for the Houston Gamblers.
Because they were playing in the climate-controlled Astrodome, Kelly later quoted, “Would you rather be in Houston or Buffalo? “The Bills quickly felt betrayed by the decision, but after the USFL folded, Kelly signed with them in 1986.
Spotlight: Jim Kelly 1986 Signing with the Bills and Four Straight Super Bowls
After Kelly signed with the Bills in 1986, he eventually paid the Western New York fans back by leading the team to four straight AFC East Titles and four straight Super Bowls. While the team never won the big game, Kelly was a dawg on the field. He accurately passed to wide receivers such as Reed and James Lofton and ran with his legs to absorb big contact.
Reed was a significant contributor wherever he lined up. He could catch the ball on short passes and racked up yards after the catch, especially when plugged into the slot position. Lofton was always a number one go-to guy in Green Bay and wasn’t any different in Buffalo. He made the big catches when needed, especially on go routes, and could help save the receiving core when Reed was double-teamed.
Then there was All-Pro running back Thomas, who contributed with his hard-nosed, low-center-of-gravity running style. He finished those long drives by punching it into the endzone for six. He also picked up Kelly and his teammates when they were down and needed to be motivated.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team did not disappoint. It had defensive end Bruce Smith and left outside linebacker Cornelius Bennett. Both are game changers in their respective positions. Smith was that edge rusher and run-stopper who could flip a game in the other direction with his sack-making abilities. Because of his contributions, Smith became an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Bennett was a game wrecker of his own. He was known for sacking the quarterback and making the splash plays on defense to get the offense back on the field. The proficient athlete was a culture icon in Buffalo with his larger-than-life status and play to back it up.
This style of play from the team entertained the fans and made Kelly the person he is today.
Professional Accolades
- Led Bills to 8 postseason appearances
- 5x Pro Bowler
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- NFL passing TDs leader (1991)
- NFL passing % leader (1990)
- Buffalo Bills No. 12 Retired
- 21 comebacks and 28 game-winning drives
- Passed for a total of 35,467 yards, 237 TDs, 175 INTs
Now, you can catch Kelly at Bills games with Josh Allen leading the Bills into a new winning era. Hopefully, our “MVP” candidate quarterback can lead the team to their 1st Super Bowl win.
