Jim Kelly Childhood

James ‘Jim’ Kelly was born on February 14, 1960 in Pittsburgh, PA. He was one of 6 sons of Alice and Joe Kelly. Jim along with his brothers played sports while they were growing up in East Brady, PA. The toughness Kelly shown in his Hall of Fame career can be traced back to the family hard times, fights and competitions with his brothers.

Jim Kelly High School Stats and Awards

Jim Kelly had a stellar high school senior season passing for over 3,900 yards and 44 TDs and earned All-State honors. Kelly also played for his high school’s basketball team which made a run in the state playoffs. Kelly wanted to play college football in-state at national powerhouse Penn State. He was offered a scholarship to play for the Nittany Lions, but they wanted him to play linebacker. He instead opted to play quarterback at the University of Miami. 

Jim Kelly College Career Stats and Notes

Kelly played for the Hurricanes from 1979-82, becoming the starter his sophomore year. His junior year he led the team to a Cotton Bowl win over the. Kelly’s senior season was full of high hopes individually and for the program. He was considered a Heisman contender as the Hurricanes looked to build off of the previous year's success. However, in the third game of the season Kelly torn his right shoulder, ending his season and ultimately his college career. In four years, Kelly had 5,228 yards passing and 33 TDs.  

Jim Kelly NFL Career Stats and Notes

Kelly was drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1983 NFL Draft. However Kelly had reservations about playing for the Bills and in a last minute move, decided to play for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. He would play for the Gamblers for two years before joining the Bills as they had retained his rights. 

Kelly would play for the Bills for 11 seasons and made the small market a national household name. He keyed a juggernaut offense in the early 1990s along with fellow Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas, James Lofton and Andre Reed that powered the Bills to four straight Super Bowls. A tremendous feat that has never been done before, but equally as impressive was the fact they lost all four games. 

One of the greatest runs in team sports ended in 1994 when they failed to make the postseason. After making the playoff the following two years, Kelly retired after the 1996 season.  He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.  

Jim Kelly and the K-Gun Offense

The Buffalo Bills remarkable run of four straight Super Bowl appearances was made possible by the no-huddle, hurry-up style offense they called the K-Gun. Although it would be easy to assume the K stood for Kelly, that wasn't the case as it was named after their tight end Keith McKeller. Kelly had weapons at every skilled position, and they kept defenses scrambling trying to keep up. With their fast paced offense, it was hard for opposing teams to make their substitutions, creating mismatches and tiring out their players.

It wasn’t a novel offensive concept, but tailor made for the Bills. The Kelly-led Bills averaged 12 wins a season during their four year run, averaging over 25 points a game. In an era where running the ball and defense still ruled the league, the K-Gun offense was fun to watch and a prelude to what we see today.

List of Pro Football Hall of Fame Members