Jim Kelly facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Not to be confused with Jim Kelley, the Buffalo sportswriter.

Quick facts for kids
Jim Kelly

Kelly in 2010.

No. 12

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

February 14, 1960 (age 66)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)

Weight:

217 lb (98 kg)

Career information

High school:

East Brady (East Brady, Pennsylvania)

College:

Miami (FL) (1978–1982)

NFL Draft:

1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14

Career history

Houston Gamblers (1984–1985)
Buffalo Bills (1986)

Career highlights and awards

USFL Most Valuable Player (1984)
USFL Rookie of the Year (1984)
2× First-team All-USFL (1984, 1985)
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)
Second-team All-South Independent (1981)
Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame
Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team
Buffalo Bills No. 12 retired
USFL All-Time Team
University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame
NCAA Inspiration Award (2018)

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	4,779
Passing completions:	2,874
Completion percentage:	60.1%
TD–INT:	237–175
Passing yards:	35,467
Passer rating:	84.4

Player stats at PFR

Pro Football Hall of Fame

James "Jim" Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a famous American former professional football quarterback. He played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo Bills. Before that, he spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers in the United States Football League (USFL).

Jim Kelly was a star player in college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was even named the offensive MVP in the 1981 Peach Bowl. In the 1983 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills chose him. However, he decided to play for the Gamblers first. He joined the Bills in 1986 after the USFL ended.

Kelly was known for leading an exciting "K-Gun" offense. This fast-paced style used no-huddle plays. From 1990 to 1993, he led the Bills to an amazing four straight Super Bowls. This is a record for any team! He was also chosen for five Pro Bowls and earned top honors in 1991. Jim Kelly's jersey number 12 was retired by the Bills. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Early Life and High School Football

Jim Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 14, 1960. He grew up in a town called East Brady, Pennsylvania.

In high school, Jim was an amazing athlete. He played football for East Brady High School. He passed for 3,915 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career. He also played basketball, scoring over 1,000 points. As a senior, he led his basketball team to the state quarterfinals.

College Football Career

Jim Kelly received a scholarship offer to play college football. He chose the University of Miami because they promised he could play quarterback. This was important to him.

He became a key player for the Miami Hurricanes. He helped build the team into one of the best in the country. By the end of his college career, he had passed for 5,228 yards and 33 touchdowns. In 1992, he was honored by being inducted into the University of Miami's Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Journey

The 1983 NFL Draft Decision

In the 1983 NFL Draft, Jim Kelly was a top quarterback prospect. He preferred not to play for teams in cold weather. The Buffalo Bills chose him as the 14th pick in the first round.

Even though he was drafted by the Bills, Kelly decided to explore other options. He was contacted by a team from the United States Football League (USFL). This league was a rival to the NFL at the time.

Playing for the Houston Gamblers

Kelly chose to sign with the Houston Gamblers in the USFL. He liked that they played in the warm Houston Astrodome. He also enjoyed their exciting "run-and-shoot" offense.

He played two seasons with the Gamblers. In 1984, he was named the USFL MVP. He set a league record with 5,219 passing yards and 44 touchdown passes that year. Kelly's success in the USFL was remarkable.

"The Greatest Game No One Saw"

On February 24, 1985, Jim Kelly led the Houston Gamblers against the Los Angeles Express. This game is often called "the greatest game no one saw." It was not televised nationally.

The Gamblers were far behind, 33–14, with only ten minutes left. But Kelly led an incredible comeback! He threw three touchdown passes in the final minutes. The Gamblers won 34–33. Kelly set a professional football record with 574 passing yards in that game.

Joining the Buffalo Bills

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

After the USFL stopped playing, Jim Kelly finally joined the Buffalo Bills in 1986. He quickly became their starting quarterback. He led the Bills to an amazing four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. These were from Super Bowl XXV to Super Bowl XXVIII.

The Bills also won six divisional championships with Kelly. They are the only team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl four years in a row. Kelly's main receiver, Andre Reed, became one of the NFL's all-time best. Kelly and Reed connected for 65 touchdowns together.

Kelly retired after the 1996 NFL season due to injuries. He is remembered as one of the Bills' greatest players.

The "No-Huddle Offense"

Jim Kelly was famous for running the Bills' "K-Gun" no-huddle offense. This was a very fast-paced way to play football. The team would quickly line up for the next play without a huddle. Kelly would then read the defense and call out the play.

This strategy made it hard for opposing teams to change their players. It often created mismatches and confusion for the defense. The "K-Gun" offense helped the Bills become one of the most successful teams in the 1990s. It was key to their four Super Bowl appearances.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Jim Kelly's career statistics from his time in college and professional football.

College

Season	Team	Games		Passing
Season	Team	GP	Record	Att	Cmp	Pct	Yds	TD	Int	Rtg
1979	Miami	11	5–6	104	48	46.2	721	5	6	108.7
1980	Miami	12	9–3	206	109	52.9	1,519	11	7	125.7
1981	Miami	11	9–2	285	168	59.4	2,403	14	14	136.2
1982	Miami	3	2–1	81	51	63.0	585	3	1	133.4
Career		37	30–15	676	376	55.6	5,228	33	28	128.4

USFL Regular Season

Year	Team	Games		Passing
Year	Team	GP	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg
1984	Houston Gamblers	18	13–5	370	587	63.0	5,219	8.9	44	26	98.2
1985	Houston Gamblers	18	10–8	360	567	63.5	4,623	8.2	39	19	97.9
Career		36	23–13	730	1,154	63.3	9,842	8.5	83	45	98.0

USFL Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Passing
Year	Team	GP	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int
1984	Houston Gamblers	1	0–1	23	34	67.6	301	8.6	0	2
1985	Houston Gamblers	1	0–1	23	40	57.5	319	7.8	2	1
Career		2	0–2	46	74	62.2	620	8.4	2	3

NFL Regular Season

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
1986	BUF	16	16	4–12	285	480	59.4	3,593	7.5	22	17	83.3	41	199	4.9	20	0	43	330	7	3
1987	BUF	12	12	6–6	250	419	59.7	2,798	6.7	19	11	83.8	29	133	4.6	24	0	27	239	6	3
1988	BUF	16	16	12–4	269	452	59.5	3,380	7.5	15	17	78.2	35	154	4.4	20	0	30	229	5	3
1989	BUF	13	13	6–7	228	391	58.3	3,130	8.0	25	18	86.2	29	137	4.7	19	2	30	216	6	4
1990	BUF	14	14	12–2	219	346	63.3	2,829	8.2	24	9	101.2	22	63	2.9	15	0	20	158	4	2
1991	BUF	15	15	13–2	304	474	64.1	3,844	8.1	33	17	97.6	20	45	2.3	12	1	31	227	6	4
1992	BUF	16	16	11–5	269	462	58.2	3,457	7.5	23	19	81.2	31	53	1.7	10	1	20	145	8	4
1993	BUF	16	16	12–4	288	470	61.3	3,382	7.2	18	18	79.9	36	102	2.8	17	0	25	171	7	3
1994	BUF	14	14	7–7	285	448	63.6	3,114	7.0	22	17	84.6	25	77	3.1	18	1	34	244	11	6
1995	BUF	15	15	10–5	255	458	55.7	3,130	6.8	22	13	81.1	17	20	1.2	17	0	26	181	7	4
1996	BUF	13	13	8–5	222	379	58.6	2,810	7.4	14	19	73.2	19	66	3.5	22	2	37	287	9	4
Career		160	160	101–59	2,874	4,779	60.1	35,467	7.4	237	175	84.4	304	1,049	3.5	24	7	323	2,427	76	40

NFL Postseason

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
1988	BUF	2	2	1–1	33	63	52.4	407	6.5	1	4	51.5	5	28	5.6	10	0	4	34	0	0
1989	BUF	1	1	0–1	28	54	51.9	405	7.5	4	2	85.8	1	5	5.0	5	0	1	1	0	0
1990	BUF	3	3	2–1	54	82	65.9	851	10.4	5	2	110.4	13	72	5.5	16	0	1	7	2	0
1991	BUF	3	3	2–1	64	118	54.2	665	5.6	5	9	53.1	6	27	4.5	10	0	7	59	3	1
1992	BUF	2	2	1–1	21	31	67.7	259	8.4	1	4	64.5	3	4	1.3	4	0	3	11	1	1
1993	BUF	3	3	2–1	75	114	65.8	707	6.2	2	1	84.9	9	10	1.1	8	0	6	40	1	0
1995	BUF	2	2	1–1	26	51	51.0	330	6.5	2	5	45.0	3	-3	-1.0	-1	0	2	6	1	0
1996	BUF	1	1	0–1	21	32	65.6	239	7.5	1	1	85.3	4	18	4.5	15	0	1	10	2	1
Career		17	17	9–8	322	545	59.1	3,863	7.1	21	28	72.3	44	161	3.7	16	0	25	168	10	3

Super Bowl Appearances

Year	SB	Team	Opp.	Passing								Rushing				Result
Year	SB	Team	Opp.	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	TD	Result
1990	XXV	BUF	NYG	18	30	60.0	212	7.1	0	0	81.5	6	23	3.8	0	L 20–19
1991	XXVI	BUF	WAS	28	58	48.3	275	4.7	2	4	44.8	3	16	5.3	0	L 37–24
1992	XXVII	BUF	DAL	4	7	57.1	82	11.7	0	2	58.9	0	0	0.0	0	L 52–17
1993	XXVIII	BUF	DAL	31	50	62.0	260	5.2	0	1	67.1	2	12	6.0	0	L 30–13
Career				81	145	55.9	829	5.7	2	7	56.9	11	51	4.6	0	W−L 0–4

Records and Achievements

Kelly's Houston Gamblers USFL jersey on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kelly's Buffalo Bills jersey on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jim Kelly holds many impressive records. He has the second all-time NFL record for most yards gained per completion in a single game. In 1990, he achieved an NFL-best 101.2 passer rating. He also led the league with 33 touchdown passes in 1991.

Kelly was selected for the Pro Bowl five times during his career. In his four Super Bowl appearances, he completed 81 passes for 829 yards. This is the fifth most completions in Super Bowl history.

He finished his 11 NFL seasons with 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdowns. These are Buffalo Bills team records. Including his time in both the NFL and USFL, he had over 45,000 passing yards and 320 touchdowns. In 2001, the Buffalo Bills retired his number 12 jersey.

On August 3, 2002, Jim Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors for a football player. He was chosen in his very first year of eligibility.

Jim Kelly's Personal Life

Kelly at Balad Air Base in Balad, Iraq in 2010

Kelly speaking during StarGaze 1993 at Pilot Field in Buffalo

Jim Kelly lives in East Aurora, New York, with his wife Jill and their two daughters.

Hunter's Hope Foundation

Jim Kelly's son, Hunter James Kelly, was born with a rare condition. Hunter passed away at the age of 8 in 2005. To honor his son, Jim and his wife Jill started the Hunter's Hope Foundation in 1997. This foundation helps other children and families dealing with similar rare diseases. It also supports important medical research.

Hunter's Day of Hope is held every year on February 14th. This day celebrates both Jim and Hunter's birthdays. The Hunter James Kelly Research Institute was founded in 2004. Scientists there study diseases that affect the brain. When Jim Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he dedicated his speech to Hunter. He said, "The toughest person I ever met in my life was my hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."

Family and Football

Two of Jim Kelly's nephews also became quarterbacks. His nephew, Chad Kelly, played college football and was drafted into the NFL. He now plays in the CFL. Chad's younger brother, Casey Kelly, also played quarterback in high school and college. He later switched to playing tight end.

Jim Kelly's father, Joe Kelly, passed away in 2017. His mother had passed away in 1996.

Community Involvement and Health Journey

Jim Kelly is a devout Christian. He has several businesses, including Hall of Fame Life Promotions. A portion of the money from this company goes to the Hunter's Hope Foundation. He also founded Jim Kelly Inc., which makes "MyFanClip" products. These products also help support his charity.

Since 1987, Kelly has hosted the annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic. This event raises money for his Kelly for Kids Foundation. He also runs a football camp for young people aged eight to 18. This camp teaches football skills from experienced coaches and former players.

Jim Kelly faced significant health challenges. In 2013, he was diagnosed with cancer in his jaw. He underwent several surgeries and treatments. The cancer returned a few times, but each time, Jim fought bravely. In 2014, he also dealt with a serious infection. By January 2019, Jim Kelly announced he was cancer-free. His strength and positive attitude during these times earned him the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance in 2018.