Jim Kelly opens up on Bills’ AFC Championship chances, Super Bowl legacy

Legendary Bills QB Jim Kelly, who carried his team to a record four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, takes a timeout to talk about his Hall of Fame career and Sundays AFC Championship between his former team and the rival Chiefs.

Q: What would the Bills getting back to a Super Bowl mean to you? A: So much.

I have two daughters that are 25 [Camryn] and 29 [Erin], never got to experience anything like that.

My wifes [Jill] from here, my good friends are from here, my five brothers, they still love the Bills.

This city is so excited, and for me personally, too.

It would mean the world.

I would love it.

Id be probably one of the ones dancing.

I dont know if I would jump on a table or I might think about it, but I doubt it (laugh).

Q: What gives you optimism that these Bills can go into Kansas City and beat them? A: I think we can beat anybody anywhere.

Its an old cliche.

It doesnt matter any Sunday anybody could win.

I just know how [Sean] McDermotts got these guys fired up.

These guys have been focused.

Josh [Allen] has been the leader everybodys wanted, not only on the field but off the field too.

To be honest with you, if you asked me at the beginning of the season, I wouldnt have been so optimistic because their two top receivers are gone.

Now all of a sudden, [Khalil] Shakirs here, and [Keon Coleman] and [Mack] Hollins.

Its exciting to watch in how they all came together.

But you know what? I just dont want to see the Chiefs in a Super Bowl (laugh).

Q: Does Josh in any way remind you of you? A: Uhhhh, let me see, he drinks Coors Lite, let me see.

...

Thats about the only one.

No, as far as his toughness, yeah without a doubt.

Hes a tough SOB.

Athletic ability, I can only dream about being that athletically inclined.

The kid can do it all.

He can bull through linebackers, he can pretty much do it all, and thats what weve been wanting for many, many years, and we finally got a guy, and not only on the field but away from the field, too.

Hes awesome in the community, he does his thing for Childrens Hospital.

It hit home with me because of my son [Hunter, who died at 8 in 2005 from Krabbe disease] how much time he spent at Childrens Hospital, what Josh does for that.

What hes meant to this community, its hard to even put on paper.

Q: What is it about Patrick Mahomes that scares or concerns you? A: Hes been there, done that many times over again.

They always find a way to win.

How many times they were on the verge of losing and he finds a way to bring em back.

Thats why hes considered one of the great quarterbacks of our time now.

And theyre at home, they have a crowd that matches up with the Bills Mafia, both cities love their football, and both cities know how to cheer thats for sure.

Q: The 2021 divisional game known as the 13-Second Game, when Mahomes led a field goal drive to force overtime and win how painful was that for you? A: Painful wasnt the word for it.

I wanted to break the TV, I wanted to put my foot through it.

You think about what the hell were they thinking defensively, letting em come off the line of scrimmage, are you kidding me? Even during the course of the game with [Travis] Kelce, man Id knock the st out of him coming off the line of scrimmage to slow him down a little bit, get our pass rushers in there on Mahomes.

Hes targeting him 8 to 10 times every game.

Q: Do you think the Chiefs have the pressure on them going for the three-peat? A: I dont know.

People asked me back when I played, Do you have any pressure on you because you havent won any, a couple of Super Bowls? And I said, The pressures only the pressure you put on yourself.

You hear it from the outside.

If you keep yourself focused on the locker room and dont really watch a lot of TV and all that, the pressure doesnt get as bad.

Its just when you start listening to everybody else talk, thats when it starts really wearing on your mind.

I think that they probably do to a certain point, but you know what? If they dont win it, hey, [they]ve already done it twice.

That might be their thought process.

Ours was: Lets just go out and whoop some ass and have some fun.

Q: You won four AFC Championships.

A: That was exciting everybodys dream and goal when youre a kid is to be able to play in a Super Bowl, play in a World Series.

I was one of those kids when I was little because I grew up in Pittsburgh, so I loved the Steelers, and Id get to watch them as a young teenager winning the four Super Bowls, and I was one of those kids in the backyard, with a magic marker I put No.

12 on my shirt.

I was [Terry] Bradshaw throwing passes to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth ...

two minutes to go in the Super Bowl and Im the quarterback leading my team down the field to win the game.

All of that came to life in Super Bowl XXV when there was a little over two minutes to go [against the Giants] were down one point.

[20-19] I need to take my team down and get in field goal range and win the game, and we all well know that didnt happen [Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt wide right].

Q: Your first AFC Championship win was 51-3 over the Raiders.

A: Wed been there, we didnt go on [the 1988 team losing the AFC Championship to the Bengals).

We just wanted that opportunity to be able to go to the Super Bowl.

We had confidence going into the game, it was very cold.

For me it was something I always dreamt about as a little kid, and finally everything came full circle.

Q: Your first Super Bowl, what stands out to you other than the bad ending? A: Walking out there, knowing my family was out there.

Come from a little small town [East Brady, Pa.], and all the flashbulbs and cameras, and when youre walking down through the tunnel, all the people know that here comes your quarterback, always walked out with Steve Tasker before our first warm-ups.

And then, of course, more than anything, probably the national anthem sung by Whitney Houston and all of that.

Even today, I havent watched any of those games since then.

Ive never watched any of my Super Bowls, but Ive heard Whitney Houston sing that national anthem many times over.

It has to be the greatest ever.

Q: When Norwood lined up for the field goal, what kind of view did you have, and what were your emotions immediately afterward? A: My view wasnt great, but I thought for sure it was hooking around and could go through, but of course the thing I saw was the guy that was rushing the kicker, his reaction.

But I had all the confidence in the world, I really thought that Scott was going to make it.

Youd rather have a chip shot than have him kick a 47-yard field goal on the grass.

You know what? Its one of the guys I would never ever blame for that loss because he won a lot of games for us in his career, especially that year.

So it is what it is, and I know thats an old saying, but you keep moving on.

I look back and Im proud to say I was able to quarterback my team to four consecutive Super Bowls, win or lose.

The closeness that our team has is probably unmatched.

I dont know, to be honest with you, if we would have won one or two of those Super Bowls we would have been as close as we are.

As a matter of fact, about two months ago a bunch of us, about 8 or 10 of us, flew with our wives to Chicago where Marv [Levy] lives, our head coach, we had dinner with him the night before, and then the next day we watched the Buffalo Bills play I think it was the Houston Texans with our coach.

We celebrated his 99th birthday, the next year at the Hall of Fame hes going to be 100 years old! Q: How would you describe your on-field mentality? A: Wanting to win, no matter what.

Make my brothers proud.

Because I had five brothers that are all tough as nails, and I remember on the field Id just get hit, sometimes I probably shouldnt gotten up, and I just could hear my brothers in the stands yelling, Get up! Dont let em know they hurt you! Q: Whatever comes to mind: Marv Levy.

A: The greatest.

What a motivator he is.

Q: Thurman Thomas.

A: One of the greatest all-purpose running backs in the history of the NFL.

Q: Bruce Smith.

A: Greatest defensive lineman ever to play the game.

I thank the good Lord that he played on my team (laugh).

Q: Andre Reed.

A: Hed come back and say, Hey J., I was wide open! I said, Bro, its a running play.

Nobody ever could cover him, thats why he played so much inside.

To cover him one-on-one was very hard, he was able to get away from so many people and get himself open.

The run-after-catch was amazing, probably one of the top guys in history of run-after-catch.

Q: Steve Tasker.

A: Pisses me off that hes not in the Hall of Fame.

The reason I say that is to talk to any head coach or any coach, and they always say theres three phases to a football game: offense, defense and special teams.

Steve Tasker was not only double-teamed, he was almost triple-teamed sometimes.

Hed always have somebody peeling back because they knew that he was gonna make that tackle outside.

As a matter of fact, I lobbied for him to be my wide receiver because nobody on our team could ever cover him one-on-one running routes.

But our special teams coach, God rest his soul, Bruce DeHaven, said, Your messing with my job now, no, hes not going to be a receiver for you.

Q: Kent Hull.

A: My best friend.

One of the greatest leaders we had on our football team.

Hes one of the guys, him and Darryl Talley and, of course, Steve Tasker, if we would have won a couple of those Super Bowls, I think they definitely would be in the conversation for a Hall of Fame.

Q: You mentioned them all in your Hall of Fame speech.

A: I had 48 on my football team, I had 65 in my [high school] graduation class.

We didnt even have a traffic light [in his hometown], never ever in a million years ever thought Id be going to the Hall of Fame.

My dream was the NFL like any kid, but I never ever dreamt about the Hall of Fame.

Q: What is your favorite USFL memory while with the Houston Gamblers? A: Beating the L.A.

Express in L.A., comeback game against Steve Young.

Q: How much fun was it operating that offense? A: I loved to throw the ball.

I learned a different part of the sport playing quarterback in the Run n Shoot.

I had a great coach in Mouse Davis.

Q: You blew out your shoulder your senior year at Miami (Fla).

A: My whole thing was to be able to take care of the two people I love, and that was my mom and my dad, and make my five brothers proud of their brother because we grew up with nothing, and we always wanted to be good enough to take care of mom and dad.

You blow your shoulder out and your doctors tell me that Id probably not get my range of motion back.

The first thing that the surgeon said to me after we got done talking, he said, I hope you studied.

And I said, Why is that? He said, Because we had to insert three metal rods in your right arm, you may never get your range of motion back.

I put my mom and dads picture in my locker and I rehabbed like I never rehabbed in my life, because I wanted to make them proud and be able to have them kick back and relax and enjoy life.

Q: Three dinner guests? A: John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Eddie Murphy.

Q: You were the John Wayne of quarterbacks, actually.

A: Oh, I loved it, he was my man.

Did you ever watch Gunsmoke? James Arness? Hes one of my all-time favorites, him and Festus [Haggan].

Q: Favorite movie? A: Probably Gladiator.

Q: Favorite actor? A: Probably Clint Eastwood.

Q: Favorite actress? A: Demi Moore maybe.

Q: Favorite singer/entertainer? A: Van Halen and Tim McGraw.

Q: Favorite meal? A: Anything Italian.

Q: Do you feel any regret or emptiness that you didnt get that ring? A: I dont really think about it that often, I think about it when Super Bowl comes around, of course, and you have your gut feeling, you wish you would have won one to feel what its like to be in that locker room.

I busted my ass, I worked my tail off, I focused, and it just didnt happen.

Theres a couple of plays here and there whether it was 25, 27, that were the difference but you know what? Thats a part of football, its a team sport.

We win as a team, we lose as a team.

Q: What is life like today for Jim Kelly? A: Trying to stay above the grass (laugh).

You know what? I feel pretty good.

Its just like anybody, the older you get, theres things that pop up.

My oldest brother Pat, who is 74 now, his favorite saying is, Getting old is not for sissies, and isnt that the truth? But the bottom line is you go through things, and one thing you learn at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you never complain about your health, because standing right beside you somebody is going through tough times, so I dont even worry about it.

I thank the good Lord every day that Im still here, and now my motto is: I might have lost four Super Bowls, but I kicked cancers ass four times.

Q: What are you most proud of about your career and your life? A: Im proud that Ive been able to take care of the people I love, and that was my family.

My dream, it came true, and now Im very excited because I have two beautiful daughters, and of course my son is in heaven now looking down on us, and I have a beautiful wife.

Im loving life and cheering these Buffalo Bills on.

Q: How do you feel about being an inspiration to so many people? A: Well, its not what I wanted, but it comes with the territory, and I love especially getting letters.

One of my things that I do, I travel the country speaking, I do a lot now, and being able to go out and make a difference for somebody and having them come up here and say that, You were a difference in my life, thank you for all your toughness and everything, we look up to you.

My motto now is: Make a difference today for someone who is fighting for their tomorrow.

Because nowadays theres too many people [who] want to give up on their lives, and if I could change their thought process, and want them to keep fighting and never give up, thats what Im going to do, and thats what I have been doing.

No.

1, I thank the good Lord because Im here, because God had a reason for me to be here and thats to be able to be a difference-maker.

Q: If you were the quarterback, and you were giving a pep talk, would you tell these Buffalo Bills? A: Continue to do what you do, worry about your own job, dont worry about somebody elses, keep fighting and never ever give up, because were not out of this game until that clock reads zero.

Q: Do you expect them to win? A: Yep.

I expect them to win, and I want them to win.

Yeah, I have more confidence in what theyre doing now than I ever had since Josh Allens been the quarterback.

This is one team I think has what it takes to go all the way.

But you know what? That old saying that Marv always taught us was, One more river to cross before the big one.

Q: If the Bills do pull this off on Sunday, what do you think your emotions will be? A: A big Coors Lite probably, jumping up and down with my wife and my kids, just screaming, yelling having fun.

Q: Whats your last message to Buffalo and Bills fans? A: [Imitating Marv Levy] Where else would you rather be than right here, right now ?.

This article has been shared from the original article on nypost, here is the link to the original article.