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Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly revealed he suffered a stroke this spring and had to spend a few days in the hospital, although he feels “really good” now.
Kelly spoke to reporters in Orchard Park, New York, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Highmark Stadium, where the Bills will play starting this season. While the day was ceremonial as the Bills began a new era in their new stadium, Kelly’s announcement wasn’t news anyone expected.
“I had a little setback about a month and a half ago,” Kelly explained via ESPN. “But right now I feel fine. My eyesight isn’t great. My hearing is still bad, but that’s part of life.”
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Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly stands on the field before a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium. (Mark Konezny/USA TODAY Sports)
The 66-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer has previously dealt with health challenges, including multiple cancer diagnoses. His latest came in 2018, when he had to undergo surgery to remove oral cancer and reconstruct his upper jaw. He also underwent chemotherapy in 2014 for cancer detected in his maxillary sinus and had initial surgery in 2013 to remove squamous cell carcinoma from his upper jaw.
Kelly said her recent cancer screenings came back “all good.”
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“Everything is fine,” he added.
Kelly is well known in Bills history, having been the team’s franchise quarterback from 1986 to 1996, where he helped his team win four consecutive Super Bowls. Unfortunately, every Bills fan remembers how it ended: four straight losses.
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly poses on the red carpet before the NFL Honors awards ceremony at Symphony Hall. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
So the Bills still don’t have a Vince Lombardi Trophy at their team facility, even though they’ve made some runs in recent seasons with Josh Allen now at the helm of Buffalo. The Bills have reached the AFC Championship Game twice since drafting Allen in 2018, but they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in both of those games.
Kelly, who still lives in the West New York area and is actively involved with the Bills, is looking forward to the team’s first home game at their new stadium. The Bills will host the Detroit Lions in their regular season opener on Sept. 17, as the new Highmark Stadium hopes to see a victory in its debut.
“It’s going to be special, not just for the players, but imagine the fans there, how crazy and wild and loud they’re going to get,” Kelly said. “And that’s what I’m looking forward to. I want to see how loud this stadium can get. And from what I’ve been told, it’s going to be amazing, but I expect nothing less.”
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly waves to the crowd as he leaves the field on the penultimate day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York on August 10, 2022. (Shawn Dowd/USA TODAY NETWORK Syndication)
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Buffalo fans are known for their pregame rituals, whether it’s jumping through folding tables, eating pizza out of binders or spraying “Pinto Ron” with ketchup and mustard during tailgates. “Let’s go Buffalo!” has echoed through the old Highmark Stadium for years, and it will only carry over to the new digs, which will seat 60,108 spectators on game days. The capacity is, however, 10,000 less than the previous stadium, but it is not expected that there will be a bad seat in the hall.
