Two Bills Drive

‘With Houston prepared to re-enter the NFL this summer, there were memories of a long-ago era stirred Saturday when quarterback Jim Kelly became the first member of the late, great United States Football League to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.’

‘Where Martz has quarterback Kurt Warner, the Bills had Jim Kelly. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on Saturday, and he should have been. All he did was lead these guys to four straight Super Bowls, and I don’t care that they lost. They were one of the best two teams four consecutive years, and that just doesn’t happen these days.’

I had believed all along that Jim Kelly was an obvious choice for the Hall’s selection committee. But having twice been a part of its annual Super Bowl meeting through the years, I also knew that what might seem obvious to one person is not even a remote consideration to another. I learned to expect the unexpected.

‘"The main guy that kept the Buffalo Bills together, the guy who that was able to rally us every single year from those Super Bowls was Marv Levy — God bless him," Kelly said. "He’s the guy who allowed me to be the person that I am — being able to go out there and take total control of an offense."’

Kelly’s induction marks the third time in four years that a Bill has entered the Hall. He follows three former Bills already enshrined, O.J. Simpson (1985), Billy Shaw (1999), and Marv Levy (2001).

‘"I didn’t look at this game as a business, I looked at it as fun," Kelly said. "I don’t think there’s anybody out there that enjoyed playing the quarterback position as much as I did."’

‘Kelly, whose team lost all four Super Bowls, was the only one elected in his first year of eligibility, the 51st player and eighth quarterback so honored at the first opportunity.’

‘"Wow!" said Kelly, the only one of the five in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. "I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous in my life."’

‘A strong-armed passer with a linebacker’s mentality, Kelly rewrote most of the Bills’ passing records and led the team to the playoffs eight times in his 11 years with the team from 1986-96.’

‘A strong-armed passer with a "linebacker’s mentality," Kelly lived up to his advance billing, as he virtually rewrote the Bills’ record book for quarterbacks. Only three players in NFL history had reached the 30,000-yard career passing mark faster. Eight times during his NFL career he passed for more than 3,000 yards in a season, and twenty-six times he passed for more than 300 yards in a game. On September 13, 1992, in a 34-31 shootout victory over the Steve Young-led San Francisco 49ers, Kelly passed for a career-high 403 yards.’

‘Kelly’s induction marks the third time in four years that a Bill has entered the Hall. He follows three former Bills already enshrined, O.J. Simpson (1985), Billy Shaw (1999), and Marv Levy (2001).’

‘The 2002 Class of Enshrinees was announced from New Orleans just moments ago. The new class is George Allen, Dave Casper, Dan Hampton, Jim Kelly, and John Stallworth.’

‘”To me the major difference between Buffalo and St. Louis would be that the ’90 Buffalo team was a team that ran usually only one formation, sometimes two. No huddle. Their pace was very quick. It was a tempo offense.”‘

‘"It’s set up that if I am the No. 1 quarterback the majority of the season or the whole season I’ll be paid as if I’m a low-end starting quarterback," said Van Pelt, who earned the veteran’s minimum of $477,000 last season. "If I don’t, I’ll make the minimum. It’s the best of both worlds for both people."’

‘"He’s Buffalo’s most centralized sports figure. You can put him right up there with (Buffalo Sabre Hall of Famer) Gil Perreault. You think maybe the drawbacks of not winning one of those four Super Bowls might have something to do with it. But they won a lot of AFC Championships and they won a lot of games."’