Being the third quarterback drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft, the same draft class where John Elway was first overall, Jim Kelly holds the all-time NFL record for most yards gained per completion in a single game (44) and recorded an NFL best 101.2 passer rating in 1990. He led the league with 33 touchdowns passes in 1991, and made the Pro Bowl four times (1987, 1990, 1991, and 1992).
Leading one of the greatest NFL scoring teams, Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993. Kelly finished his 11 NFL season career 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, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jim Kelly, 4th of 6 sons, Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, has seen it all, done it all, and walked away at the top of his game. But it wasn’t until AFTER his football career that his strength, resolve, and character were truly tested to their limits.
Jim was speaking at a Men’s Event this past Saturday and also at church services this Sunday where he gave, not only his personal testimony, but a heart wrenching story or the birth, life, and death of his son, Hunter that changed his life and brought this Hall of Fame quarterback back from almost losing it all.
Hunter Kelly was born with Globoid-Cell Leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease), a fatal disease that affects the brain with a 14 month life expectancy. Amazingly, Hunter lived until age 8, when he succumbed to the disease. Filled with anger and turning from God, Jim’s life became very dark, while his wife turned to her faith, and began to heal and move forward.
Until the day when he decided to be honest with himself and completely change his life, Jim confessed to his God, his pastor, and his wife receiving, what he says was the greatest gift of all, FREEDOM. Jim began to be the husband he needed to be, and the father he should have been to his two surviving daughters. Kelly and his wife started the Hunters Hope Foundation to raise national awareness to Krabbe disease and help keep other children from suffering from the same disease that took the life of young Hunter.
Today, Kelly goes around the country speaking about his relationships with his wife and with Jesus Christ and what it means to really be a man, a husband, and a father. He says that, “even with all the Super Bowls and Halls of Fame…my life TODAY is more exciting than all those days put together!”
Today I met a legend, both on the field and off, and one day I hope to meet Hunter and tell him what an amazing dad he has. Thanks Jim for reminding us all what being a man looks like…
