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JIM FREAKIN KELLY

Gordio

By Gordio
in The Stadium Wall Archives

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Gordio

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SI Vault, Sep. 15, 1986: A New Namath, But With Knees

It's easy to lose perspective here. It's easy to get carried away. Let's just say, coolly and unemotionally, that the National Football League debut of Buffalo rookie quarterback Jim Kelly was nothing short of sensational.

 

Jim Kelly is Joe Namath with knees.

 

The Bills lost to the New York Jets 28-24 on Sunday, but it wasn't Kelly's fault. He threw three touchdown passes, exactly one third of the Bills' total production last year. He brought the Bills back twice in the fourth quarter, once giving them a three-point lead and then moving them to within four points, and he might have pulled off some kind of miracle at the end if the defense had held and given him one more shot. But these are, after all, still the Buffalo Bills, and the Jets socked them for 210 yards and 14 points in that final period. All Kelly could do was watch New York eat up yards and minutes.

 

But Lordy, wasn't the new guy something? Joe Willie with knees.

 

The resemblance between Namath and Kelly is striking, not technically but emotionally. The same dirt toughness, western Pennsylvania toughness. O.K., knock me down, but I'm gonna get up and come right after you. The Jets gave Kelly the whole package Sunday: They packed eight men up near the line; they showed the rookie quarterback every variation of the old Bear 46 Defense; they sent in rushers in waves—at one point they rushed six defensive linemen—then in long-yardage situations they backed off and rushed only three and played coverages. The Jets got to Kelly plenty, but the damage was done after he had released the ball. Officially New York recorded only one sack.

 

Kelly was knocked goofy near the end of the first half, when he put his head down and tried to run over a defensive back, and he blanked out; Greg Bell, a halfback, had to call the next play. Mark Gastineau blindsided Kelly and bruised his back. Kelly got his ankle twisted when he fell over Gastineau three series later, and on his last touchdown pass the Bills' quarterback fell as he pulled away from the center, but scrambled to his feet, rolled to his right and, fighting off a rush, threw a four-yard pass off his back foot to tight end Pete Metzelaars deep in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown that brought the Bills to within four points, 28-24, with 3:55 remaining.

 

"I knew he'd be tough," Gastineau said, "but this was ridiculous."

 

Bills center Kent Hull wasn't surprised. He remembers Kelly from the USFL days, the 75 sacks he suffered in 1984 with the Houston Gamblers' exciting run-and-shoot offense, his ability to come off the deck and inflict heavy damage quickly and efficiently.

 

"We sacked him three times when we played Houston in the Meadowlands," said Hull, a former New Jersey General. "The last time, he didn't get up. Everybody thought he had a broken finger. We thought we had seen the last of Jim Kelly, but he went in and got it taped up and came back and threw a touchdown pass that nearly beat us.

 

"Before I met him I figured he'd sit the year out and hold an auction. But after I met him at the Generals' minicamp this spring, I knew there was no way he could be out of football for a year."

 

That, of course, was just fine with Buffalo's coach, Hank Bullough. "Jim Kelly," Bullough said, "is our future."

 

(MORE)

 

Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Gordio Veteran

Gordio

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Great story, Gordio. I'm guessing it's also copyright-protected, which means it can't stay here.

 

 

Sorry about that. I thought it would be a nice change from the 15 million post about Losman & Edwards. That was the first opening day I ever went to. I was 12 years old. My dad took me. I remember the stadium was off the hook that day. I remember when they were introducing the players, when they got to Kelly all you could hear the PA announcer say was from the university of miami & the crowd was so loud you could not hear anything else. That was the start of the golden era for bills footbal even though they only wnet 4-12 that year. Man I miss watching #12.

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K-9 Hall of Famer

K-9

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Simply one of the greatest days ever to be a Bills fan. And they LOST!

 

But man, all that anticipation of Kelly's arrival, the fanfare, and potential for greatness came to a head on that opening day in '86.

 

We all knew he had the physical tools, that was a given after watching him in he USFL for a couple years. And his toughness. He really WAS a linebacker playing QB. But the biggest revelation for me was seeing him (and later hearing him on the film footage) getting into the faces of his offensive lineman on the sideline and DEMANDING they give him more time; telling them his receivers were getting wide open.

 

That day we witnessed the birth of a true team leader. And one of the best the game has seen.

 

I must go weep now.

 

GO BILLS!!!

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Bflojohn RFA

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There were two photos with this article by Paul Zimmerman and I had Jim Kelly autograph them for my son. The story was that he was in Phoenix for a hospital function, and he was a guest on KTAR Radio and I was invited to sit in on the festivities! When he was leaving I asked him for the signing of the first picture, which was Kelly standing tall in the pocket, with Jim Ritcher in the shot, and the crowd in the backdrop. Well, he signed the picture with the usual Best Wishes, Jim Kelly #12, and as he finished he turned the page. He found the second pages' pic and it was Barry Bennett of the Jets just slamming him in the mid section, and he wrote.... OUCH!! Jim Kelly , and I got such a kick out of the whole meeting. Great memories!!

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Gordio Veteran

Gordio

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Quick now; who caught Kelly's first NFL TD pass and from how long a distance? Don't cheat.

 

 

I remember Chris Burkett took a crossing pattern to the house around the 50yrd line. I think Metzalars caught a pass also but that was in the 2nd half.

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Lori All Pro

Lori

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Sorry about that. I thought it would be a nice change from the 15 million post about Losman & Edwards. That was the first opening day I ever went to. I was 12 years old. My dad took me. I remember the stadium was off the hook that day. I remember when they were introducing the players, when they got to Kelly all you could hear the PA announcer say was from the university of miami & the crowd was so loud you could not hear anything else. That was the start of the golden era for bills footbal even though they only wnet 4-12 that year. Man I miss watching #12.

Hey, I'm glad you found it, anything to get away from Losman/Edwards is appreciated, Dr. Z is always a great read, and my den is wallpapered with Kelly posters.

 

Just hafta do the excerpt/link thing (including the byline), is all, so the lawyers from CNN/SI don't come knocking on Scott's door. Far as I know, Chuck Pollock is the only writer who's given us permission to reprint his stuff in its entirety. Okay? Thanks.

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