Jim Kelly, former Hall of Fame passer for the Buffalo Bills, has been diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma in his upper jaw. Squamous-cell carcinoma is a type of cancer with a recovery rate above 50 percent, according to reports.
Kelly released a statement through the Bills that read as follows:
"With the excellent medical care that I will be receiving and the loving care of my wife, Jill, and my daughters, Erin and Camryn, and the support of my entire family and friends, I am extremely confident in my road to recovery. I plan to tackle this challenge head-on, as we Kellys always do, with toughness, perseverance and faith. I want to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and would appreciate any prayers said for me and my family moving forward. May God continue to bless you and our family."
Doctors have told Kelly his prognosis for overcoming the illness is good. The Merck Manual states that this type of cancer affects 30,000 Americans a year, and is typically found in folks over 50 years old. It can be treated with radiation, surgery or a combination of the two.
Kelly, now 53 years old, was drafted 11th overall in the 1983 draft and was the third quarterback taken. In front of him was another Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl winner John Elway. The second was a lesser-known signal caller named Todd Blackledge, selected seventh by the Kansas City Chiefs.
From 1986 to 1996, Kelly threw for 35, 467 yards, 237 touchdowns and 175 interceptions. He made five Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro in 1991. He also was the first to run the "K-Gun," or no-huddle offense. Instead of huddling after each play, Kelly's Bills would huddle to start a drive then after each play line up for the next one. Kelly would read the defense and call the plays from the line of scrimmage.
Due to his K-Gun attack, the NFL changed rules allowing defenses to make substitutions even in no-huddle attacks, as long as the offense also made changes.
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