Category: 2021 Trending Athletes, Cancer Speakers, Christian Athletes, Football, Hall of Famers, Top Christian Speakers
Highlights: Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly led the Buffalo Bills for 11 seasons from 1986-1996 and led them to four straight appearances in the Super Bowl from 1991-1994.
Travels From: New York
Fee Range: $30,001 - $50,000
One of the top quarterbacks of his era, Jim Kelly spent 11 seasons from 1986-1996 playing for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and became the most popular player in Bills history after leading the team to the playoffs in 8 of his 11 years. He was five times named to the Pro Bowl and led the Bills to six AFC East division titles and four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1991-1994. He led the NFL in passer rating and completion percentage in 1990 and passing touchdowns in 1991. In total for his career, Kelly recorded 2,874 passes for 35,467 and 237 td’s, numbers that are all franchise records. Kelly’s 81 total passes completed over the course of his four Super Bowl appearances rank fifth most in Super Bowl history, trailing only Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana.
At the time of his retirement in 1996, Kelly ranked among the top-15 quarterbacks in league history in touchdowns, passer rating and yards passing. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He is also a member of the Bills Walls of Fame and had his jersey #12 retired by the team in 2001, making Kelly along with Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith the only three players to ever have their numbers retired by the Bills. Prior to Buffalo, Kelly spent two seasons from 1984-1985 playing for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. Kelly was born on February 14, 1960 in Pittsburgh, PA. He played college football at the University of Miami from 1979-1982 and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
Kelly has made his mark off the field as well. He created the non-profit Hunter’s Hope in 1997 in honor of his late son Hunter, who passed away in 2005 from Krabbe Disease. In 2004, Kelly helped create the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute at the University of Buffalo. In 2013, Kelly was diagnosed with a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. His willingness and courage to fight the disease publicly has served as inspiration to millions. He was honored in 2018 at the ESPY’s with the Jimmy V Award, which is presented to a person involved in sports who has overcome adversity through determination and perseverance.
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