The late, Great Jackie Kemp

[Kenosha2Buffalo]

My dad was a huge kemp fan and the reason I'm a bills fan today. 

[T&C]

I have Kemp's rookie card when he played for the L.A. Chargers... it's my most prized Bills item.

[BearNorth]

Kemp was very active in the community, probably with an eye to his later political career, he spoke at MANY HS awards banquets, Elks, Kiwanis, Rotary.  He was also probably the master of the quarterback sneak in that era.  He often would get those tough yards for a first down or TD behind Billy Shaw.

 

[freddyjj]

Thanks @Chandler#81

 

Jack Kemp was the 1st Bills QB I can remember.  1966 and 1967 were my first memories of Bills seasons.  Team was starting on decline then.  Kemp was tough but broke down physically in last few years. 
 

He was a true leader and did much in Congress and in his role in Bush Sr Cabinet.  
 

RIP Jack!  Go Bills

[First Round Bust]

props to Kemp...also...to Ed Rutkowski...same era...same footsteps:

 

from wikipedia:

 

 A wide receiver, he was an American Football League All-Star in 1965, playing for the AFL's Buffalo Bills as a receiver, defensive back, punt and kickoff return man and backup quarterback from 1963 to 1968. In a famous Topps football card mixup, Rutkowski was shown on two Buffalo Bills' football cards, his own, and mistakenly on the card for Ray Abruzzese.

 

Rutkowski closed out his Pro Football career by playing seven games as a backup quarterback with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1969. From 1972-78 and again in 1990, Rutkowski served as a color commentator on the Bills' radio broadcasts.

 

In 1979, he became the County Executive of Erie County, New York, succeeding Edward Regan, who stepped down to become New York State Comptroller. Rutkowski was elected to full terms in 1979 and 1983, following his one year unexpired term, for a total of nine years in office. In 1987, Rutkowski was defeated for reelection by Assemblyman Dennis Gorski.

 

In 1995, Rutkowski was appointed by Governor George Pataki as deputy commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. In this post, he was charge of all state parks and recreations operations in Western New York, including Niagara Falls. He held the post for 12 years, until Pataki left office.

 

He was the fourth quarterback from a Buffalo professional football team to enter politics, following his teammate Jack Kemp, George Ratterman and Tommy Hughitt. Incidentally, both Kemp and Rutkowski were Republicans

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

9 hours ago, HOUSE said:

My dad loved him too but was always calling for Lamonica...Rip

Mine too ...

[Simon Says]

Why do you refer to him as "Jackie" Kemp. That seems kind of belittling or too personal. 

[jethro_tull]

My dad loved him so I did too even if I never saw him play.  I did also like his political policies when he was congressman.  

[Bob in STL]

9 hours ago, HOUSE said:

You were pretty darn good too

#10, Born in Pittsburgh 

 

Dan Darragh was not very good at all.   You may be thinking of Dennis Shaw, who was the offensive rookie of the year 1970, he was mediocre after that.  

 

Darragh SUMMARY

Games   17    

Cmp%    42.9

Yds        1353

Y/A         4.6

TD          4

Int          22

 

[dhg]

9 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

 

Dan Darragh was not very good at all.   You may be thinking of Dennis Shaw, who was the offensive rookie of the year 1970, he was mediocre after that.  

 

Darragh SUMMARY

Games   17    

Cmp%    42.9

Yds        1353

Y/A         4.6

TD          4

Int          22

 

22 Int's? Yikes!

[T&C]

14 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

 

Dan Darragh was not very good at all.   You may be thinking of Dennis Shaw, who was the offensive rookie of the year 1970, he was mediocre after that.  

 

Darragh SUMMARY

Games   17    

Cmp%    42.9

Yds        1353

Y/A         4.6

TD          4

Int          22

 

Yet, it seemed like you got a DD card in Every wax pack with the gum in 1970. 

[BillnutinHouston]

8 hours ago, SoMAn said:

No idea if there was any validity to it or if just conjecture. 

 

So, a suitable topic to bring up.  Thanks for the contribution.

[JackKemp]

Loved Jack Kemp. A true leader and strong will to win. Helped us win those two AFL World Championships. I became a Bills fan in 1962. 

[cgang]

He visited my school (East Aurora middle school) back in the day and our teacher introduced him as possibly a future president of the United States.  I thought that was cool.  I have a bills/kemp secret service patch in my home office.    

[JaBu]

As a young kid I got his autograph when the Bills trained in a field at the Blasdell Motel (wow, hard to believe that now). Years later (2005ish) Jack was a speaker at a conference my wife was at. She told him I had gotten his autograph as a kid, so he wrote me a note and signed it. He was always approachable, upbeat and amiable.

[Einstein]

What was his PFF grade?

[MiltonWaddams]

12 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

He's passed again?

Setting passing records. Once a quarterback, always a quarterback.

[Chandler#81]

6 hours ago, Herb Nightly said:

Why do you refer to him as "Jackie" Kemp. That seems kind of belittling or too personal. 

Because everyone did -including on air personalities. Now wipe yer dam nose, Whippersnapper!

 

[par73]

5 hours ago, cgang said:

He visited my school (East Aurora middle school) back in the day and our teacher introduced him as possibly a future president of the United States.  I thought that was cool.  I have a bills/kemp secret service patch in my home office.    

He was a guest at a Sports Night  event at my grammar school way back when. Got his autograph on an old folded piece of tablet paper. Still a most prized possession.

[Spiderweb]

On 11/20/2022 at 8:29 AM, dhg said:

My Dad too!

I as well. Lamonica was the better passer for sure.  Kemp was an interception prone, inaccurate, mediocre QB at best. The Bills great defense in 64 and 65 is what won the championships, not Kemp. 

 

Politically he was kryptonite.