Personal Jim Kelly stories

[vorpma]

I think it was early spring, 1998, I entered a gas station close to the Nashville Airport to pay for a fuel purchase. The cashier and two men were laughing and mentioned the Bills and Jim Kelly. They told me Jim Kelly just purchased gas and when in the store they recognized him and gave him the business about the four SB losses. He got kind of mad and stormed out, I had to laugh too.

[Tu-Toned]

I was playing in a charity golf event in Beaver Pa, and Jim was in a foursome

a couple of groups behind me and I remember it well because it was the day

that Rothlisberger was involved in the motorcycle crash.

 

I watched as Jim was the last in his group to tee off, and as soon as he did all

I heard from his group were ooh's and ah's, and wow's! No doubt they were using

his drive on that hole in this scramble event.

 

I thought to myself, yea, but he probably can't putt, a couple holes later we started to get backed

up a bit and had to wait to tee off and had a Birdseye view of Jim's group trying to negotiate

a forty foot putt. I watched as his three partners attempted their ill fated putts, and then again as

Jim calmly walked up and dropped his in the middle of the cup to the excitement of his teammates,

and resulting round of high fives, thinking to myself, this guy is unbelievable.

 

On the second to last hole, we were really backed up now and were waiting to tee off when a guy

in the foursome behind us walks up to the tee area talking on his cell. He hangs up and proceeds

To tell everyone that Big Ben was just hit by a car in Pittsburgh on his motorcycle.

 

The only reason that I mention this, is because I was totally shocked and quite honestly disgusted

by some of the comments that I was hearing. Now, I don't want to broad brush all Steeler fans,

but they were showing absolutely no concern for Big Ben's actual health, collectively from any

of the people that I was around that day. I heard comments like, "that dumbass, now he's not going

to be in that Campbell's soup commercial", and "now we are never gonna get back to the Super Bowl".

I just can't imagine Buffalo fans acting like that, especially when it was just very early in Ben's career,

and had already had significant success.

[mrags]

I just can't imagine Buffalo fans acting like that

have you read any of the Stevie Johnson threads at all?

[Tu-Toned]

have you read any of the Stevie Johnson threads at all?

Yea, but we are talking Jim Kelly here, while he would have still been playing,

would not have happened.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Tu-Toned

[shrader]

I made a milkshake for him once when I worked at Charlap's back in the late 90s. Yeah, my story is boring.

[MichFan]

He attended a wedding reception I was at around 10 years ago. Most everyone was respectful of his privacy. At the end of the night, as I was on my way to help loading gifts into the bride and groom's van, I passed him carrying an arm load of gifts to the van. Most guests left -- and there was nothing wrong with that -- but it said something about Jim that he was one of the few who stayed and helped out.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

Met him at a BIlls game 2 years ago when he was at his tailgate party in the parking lot.

 

Signed my hat and posed for a pic with me.

 

Very nice guy

 

CBF

[IDBillzFan]

Years ago while in Orlando, I went to see Jim compete in the old NFL Quarterback Challenge competition. He was walking by us afterwards and I got his attention so I could throw him my high-quality, limited edition Bills Backers of Orlando hat. He caught it, turned and walked away, then stopped, turned, took off the hat he was wearing, replaced it with the one I gave him, and tossed me his hat. It was a genuine Mean Joe Greene/Coca Cola moment...except like everything else Jim threw that day, the hat went a little sideways and fell on the ground where some rude douchebag -- who saw the exchange -- jumped in the dirt, grabbed up the hat and ran away.

 

But, y'know, other that it was a pretty cool day.

[Malazan]

When I was a kid, went to a signing at local store. Was like 10. Asked for a picture with him. Said 'No'. Waited in line forever, he took 'breaks' every few minutes that were a few minutes themselves. I got my poster signed, but he ended the signing early and sent a bunch of people away.

 

He used to be a jerk. Seems like he did a 180 and became an awesome member of the community, but the only personal interaction I had with him crushed my image of sports stars as a kid.

[Chandler#81]

Years ago while in Orlando, I went to see Jim compete in the old NFL Quarterback Challenge competition. He was walking by us afterwards and I got his attention so I could throw him my high-quality, limited edition Bills Backers of Orlando hat. He caught it, turned and walked away, then stopped, turned, took off the hat he was wearing, replaced it with the one I gave him, and tossed me his hat. It was a genuine Mean Joe Greene/Coca Cola moment...except like everything else Jim threw that day, the hat went a little sideways and fell on the ground where some rude douchebag -- who saw the exchange -- jumped in the dirt, grabbed up the hat and ran away.

 

But, y'know, other that it was a pretty cool day.

 

Great story!

[ChevyVanMiller]

In 2003, when I was interviewing for the stories that would be contained within Buffalo Soul Lifters, I arrived at the Kelly household on a cold and icy winter's day to speak to Jim and Jill about the miracle known as Hunter Kelly.

 

The Kelly house has a "u-shaped" drive and all but one spot was taken, as Hunter had a whole team of caregivers. I was driving my wife's mini-van and I had to attempt a parallel park to get into the space. Now, I consider myself the king of the parallel park and I pride myself on being able to drop a vehicle into the tightest of spaces on a dime.

 

I got halfway into the maneuver and was at the point where you cut the wheel back when I realized I was on a solid sheet of ice and was stuck. I gently rocked the van back and forth, trying to get a tire hold on the ice - no luck. Now, I was stuck half in and half out of the parking space. Suddenly I realized I was going to have to go ring the bell and ask Hall-of-Fame QB Jim Kelly to throw on his coat, grab some kitty litter and help push me free.

 

I quickly decided that was no way to start an interview.

 

So, I threw the van in reverse and gunned it. Miraculously, I caught enough of a hold to get free. I drove all the way back out to the road and parked on the side of the street and hoofed it back in.

 

Jim and Jill couldn't have been kinder and the interview went amazingly well. Meeting Hunter was a transcendent moment and I am forever honored that the Kellys entrusted me to tell his story to the world.

 

As a postscript I'd like to add that I always tape-recorded each subject and then wrote the story later while reviewing the tape. I got home from the Kelly interview and decided to write the chapter right away. Thank God I did because when I pushed the "play" button the tape was blank.

 

In meeting Jim and Jill, I had nervously hit the wrong button on the tape recorder and taped nothing but white noise. I quickly wrote the story from memory and sent it to the Kellys for their approval. They loved it and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Edited March 24, 2014 by ChevyVanMiller

[BillsVet]

Jill Kelly went to the same HS I did and graduated about 10 years before me, so there's a little connection there. Anyway, played sectional final basketball game in Rochester around '96 and our team lost to a team we should have beat. After the game the entire team went to Bathtub Billy's to sulk I guess and before I get in the rumor is that Jim Kelly is inside. I walk in the door and Jim's at the bar and shakes my hand, which pales in comparison to his. I always thought it was cool that he knew where the team was going and was there. He knew better than we ever would what it was like to lose a game.

 

When I was in the Army I managed to go to a Bills-Cowboys game at the old Dallas Stadium. Former Bills were there tailgating, and Kelly was there. I walked by and didn't have the courage to say anything, but ended up going back and shaking hands again. I think Kent Hull was with him that day. Either way, I mentioned that his wife went to my HS in NY, but I think those guys had had a few by that point.

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Most of my JK stories involve his family more than him.

1) The Thursday before Super Bowl XXV we went to the taping of the Jim Kelly show at the NFL hotel in Tampa. Guest was Chris Berman. We did get some pictures taken with both, and Berman gave us a recommendation for a restaurant down on Sanibel which we tried and enjoyed.

2) The Kelly family RV parked near us at Three Rivers Stadium for the playoff game that followed The Comeback. Met his parents and a couple of Jills

3) Attended the first Hunter's Hope ball in Buffalo. Chatted with JK a bit - knowing #89 sure helped . Ended up winning one of the auction items which was a pack of stuff for a small boy - battery operated jeep, basketball hoop & some other stuff. Unfortunately had a 2-door car and could not get everything packed in. Jill Kelly arranged to have the jeep shipped to me at no cost.

4) Attended game in Houston several years ago. A poster on the board told me where he'd be tailgating and to stop by (this was before the Pinto Ron circus became well known). So we did, only to find out that the poster was Ed Kelly - one of Jim's older brothers. We partied with Ed, Dan, and Pat Kelly & family & friends both pre- and post-game. They were great to us and really fun to be around.

[atlbillsfan1975]

I attened the first ever J Kelley football camp back in like 88 i think.

Kelley knew me from hanging around the team due to my grandfather working for them.

Long story short we had flag football teams that would compete. My team was brutal, like never won a game bad. One game Kelley comes over and takes a snap at qb for our team. I was the center. Kelley drops back throws up a bomb which gets picked off. I turned around and looked at him, he said 'dont say a word', he knew i was a ball buster. I just laughed.

[Homey D. Clown]

In 1987 My friends and I being barely legal to drive a car and had less that $30.00 in our pockets decided to drive north of the border to a wonderful establishment named Maxines. It was there that I paid my $5 for a "Personal Dance", and who comes in through the curtain? None other than My biggest and only hero I have ever taken to, Jim Kelly. He strolled in, sits right next to me, the French Canadian waitress takes his order(Budweiser bottle), he sort of notices I don't currently have a beer, head gestures towards me, and says and another for my little buddy here too. My Dancer comes in, his dancer comes in, and our beer arrive, in what order I couldn't tell you as I exchanged pleasantries with Jim for roughly 2-3 minutes, but I honestly couldn't tell you how long. My heart is pounding out of my chest, I can't believe My Idol just bought me a beer and talked to me, and to this day I can't tell you what the girl looked like, or what happened after that. I pointed to him as a gesture of thanks as I left the "Personal Dance" area, Jim's dance went on for many songs more than mine, and he looked at me for a second, winked and smirked, with a kid in a candy store kind of way, and I left.

 

I will never in my life forget that day. He behaved like just another guy in that establishment, and I never thought he could be that down to earth given his brash personality in those early years.

[filthymcnasty08]

Spring Break - Daytona Beach....1990

 

Was with a bunch of friends in a bar called Waves Beach Bar. It turned into a club at night and we were there at the time of day when it was in transition from restaurant to club. We were at our table when I noticed Jimbo at a nearby table. Up close, in his prime, you would say this dude was a LB....huge shoulders. Anyway, word got around that he was there and people were buying him rounds all night. He was very generous not to refuse any of them - shots and all. The best part of it was his company - 2 drop dead gorgeous blondes in tight skirts. 10's. So as things progressed, a now drunk Jimbo took his game out to the dance floor with both girls and proceeded to "dance" heavily with both of them. They then disappeared for about an hour (This is a hotel bar) and down came Jimbo afterwards a little stumbly with the hair a mess (still had a lot then) and the two girls looking like they too had been trampled a bit but tried to put it back together. I now had courage up to approach him....Bought him a shot, shook his hand...gave me that stare that a lot of Irish guys get when they have had too many and they were deciding whether or not you've pissed them off and if they should take it further. He drank a sht load that night. I said "Big fan, native Buffalonian" He shook my hand looked away and it was over.

 

There was not a guy in the place that a) was not aware of him being there and b) did not want to be him that night. It was one of I am sure many rock star moments for Jimbo in his prime! I will always think of him as that guy that was built out of bricks....no matter what happens. Love ya Jimbo - be well.

Edited March 25, 2014 by filthymcnasty08

[Last Guy on the Bench]

I'm loving these stories. Thanks everyone.

 

Tonight, thinking about Jim, I was trying to explain to my wife how special that team and those guys were. There have been lots of great teams in lots of sports. But very few develop that long term connection to each other and the community that our Super Bowl Bills teams did. I won't say they are unique, but they are rare.

 

You can hear it for example, when Bill Polian talks. Here's a guy that has been gone for 20 years. Spent longer in Indy than in Buffalo. Won a Super Bowl. But you can tell he has a kind of love for his Bills that is different than his love for the Colts.

 

Anyway, hang in there, Jimbo. And keep the stories coming, gang.