August 13, 2025 • 30 mins
In this inspiring episode of NFL Players: Second Acts, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly sits down with hosts Peanut Tillman and Roman Harper and shares how enduring four straight Super Bowl losses shaped his perspective on the game and on life. Jim reflects on the leadership lessons from the Bills’ golden era, the bond with teammates that still runs deep decades later, and how his faith and family guided him through the most difficult chapters of his journey. He also talks about his commitment to honoring the legacy of his late son Hunter through his charitable foundation, and the purpose that drives his second act.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I was born in Pittsburgh. There are six Hall of
Fame quarterbacks that are all within a thirty forty mile
radius to Pittsburgh that were born in Pittsburgh. Shi, Hall
of Fame quarterback, give me four in or six if
you don't that's one.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Come on, man, pick it up.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
There's some easy one yeah, two? Go?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Where are you at? I'm thinking, oh, uh, Tim Kelly, we.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Got three number sixteen? More? Uh you guys. Oh, I
wasn't even born when they played.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh uh the Bears. George Blande, George, George.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You know you're right? And one more probably they considered
one of the.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Indianapolis United Scots. Yeah, you're cheating. No, you are too.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
You google down.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
He went from none to all, spinning him out. I'm like, hey, hey, hey,
shut Thomas over there. I had you going for a minute.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Everybody on Peanut Tollman And this is the NFL Player's
Second Act podcast and with me as always as my
trusty co host Roman.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I am cold, Harper, I am cold.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I am cold.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Get straight through. I guess he's got a great one here. Man,
a great legend.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I grew up watching this man him lead his team
not only in college, but also in the NFL for many,
many years.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
He led his team to four Super Bowls. He's a
cancer survivor. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. He's raised
millions of dollars in cancer research, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
He's also the pride of East Brady, Pennsylvania. You know
what I mean, Fish is the pride of East Brady, Pennsylvania.
Our guest today, quarterback Extraordinaire of the k Gun, Jim Kelly.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Let's go oh yeah, oh yeah, let's go that shittert
Shady s Brady, Pennsylvania where I grew up. What and
people always shay uh? You know what were you drinking? Back?
I don't what our parents can shed just drinking Iron
City beer.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
That's it, Iron City beech.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I wish I love that.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Get me some of that.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
They still make it. Yeah, okay, get me.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
What's it like being in Canpon for Hall of Fame Weekend?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Probably it's a dream I never had. Yeah, growing up
into little boy in Pennsylvania. Again, I always dreamed about
playing the NFL like most guys, most kids do. I
mean I was one of those little kids that you know,
I put number twelve on my shirt Terry Bradshaw on
the field, I was Joe Namath off the field. Okay,
(03:02):
I just remember in two thousand and two when I
I remember being at the Super Bowl with my dad,
my high school football coach, and my five brothers in
a hotel room waiting to see if I was going
to get a phone call if I was going to
be picked first ballot Hall of Famer. I wasn't sure
because when you went to four Super Bowls, you wouldn't
(03:22):
went four in row. It wasn't like we did one here,
one there, we would get four in row. I wasn't
sure if that would keep me from being the first
ballot Hall of Famer. I mean, I had all the
you know, people tell me different things, and I didn't know.
But when they picked me that day, the celebration that
me and my five brothers and my dad had it
(03:44):
was something that I will remember for the rest of
my life. And then, of course because of that day
I had my son was born. I had a son
born on my birthday, Valentine's Day. It was your dream,
you know, having him play football just like Daddy did,
my football camp and all these things, and I remember
(04:04):
the day that I was inducted in August. I remember
standing on a podium and doing my speech, and I
looked over at my son and I knew that he
would never because he was, uh, he was disabled. He
had you know, I couldn't uh walking, talking, smiling, eating everything.
(04:24):
He he didn't have any motor skills. And the average
life was only fourteen months. And my son at that
time when I was inducted, he was five years old
and uh he lived to be eight and a half,
which is awesome, but it was my my dream. And
then I remember my first day going into the Hall
of Fame and you know all the guys you looked
(04:45):
up to. I walked into that room and I saw
Roger sca back, Bob Greasy. I mean, of course I'm
a quarterback. You know, see Joe Nate. But you know
Dick Buck this I mean guy used to had two
I Teching Jones.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
Deacons Deacon Jones, the guy that was before the sack
was created.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah Jack, oh yeah, you got that right. But just
walking in that room and she all these guys, You're like, wow,
Am I really a part of this? Yes? And because
like I said before, I dreaked about going the NFL.
I never dreamt about being your pro football fame. I
mean I grew up in Pittsburg. I mean I Shaw Steeters,
went on Super Bowl, you know, Franco and Jack Lambert,
(05:22):
me and Joe Green and I go on and on,
and here I was being one of them. And never
in million years I'd ever thought.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
You know, you've talked about going to four Super Bowls
and you guys unfortunately didn't win any.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I'm over two in mine.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But the longer we've gotten away from that the losses,
because we talked to Andre Reid, it's amazing how many
bills and the rest of the NFL, it's almost like
we actually give you guys more credit now than ever
before because we haven't had it again. You guys went
to four straight, and so it's like the longer we
get away from that, it's almost we give more guys,
(06:00):
get more and more respect. And I think it makes
you guys just that much more special to have that group.
All you guys are in the Hall of Fame together.
How special is that? Understanding that part of we're looking
at it from that lens.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Oh, without doubt, And I think you said it right
because the further we're removed from there. To people that
understand how hard it was to get back to one.
I mean there's guys like Eric Dickerson one moon, never
been to a super Bowl, and uh, to do what
we did is amazing. And the thing is, there's no
doubt that, especially people that played competitive sports, whether it's football, basketball, baseball, hockey, whatever,
(06:37):
no one to how to get to the finals, get
to that championship game. Everybody. I mean, that's everybody's dream.
Everybody wants you to win. And of course I get that,
so did I. But to be able to get back
there and do the way we get it, never ever
giving up the resiliency that we had, the leadership that
we had in our locker room, and a head coach
(07:00):
like we're giving Marv Reevey, Oh my gosh, there's no
doubt that. I think people look back on that now
and Shay even they've been doing it for a number
of years now. But it's an amazing feet that we had.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
As far as the Hall of Fame, how much pride
do you take and not being in the Hall of
Fame but actually changing the Hall of Fame and the
way we do the production here, all right, And that
is because you actually brought you invited twelve hundred people
to the Hall of Fame. The current record before you
(07:35):
was four hundred and sixty.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
You shattered it.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
So now we have it in the stadium because of
the Jim Kelly, what kind of pride do you take.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
In that statement. I've had more people tell me that again,
I get it, Bill's mafia. It was not Bill's mafia
when I played. It was just Bill's fans. And we
knew when you personally, I knew the way the Buffalo celebration.
I knew the way they were and when I got
inducted on the first ballot, the people in the city,
(08:07):
how they were talking. And when contact the Hall of
Fame I did, my brother did and said, you know what,
I don't think you're gonna want to have this celebration
on the steps because there's gonna be enough room. And
then I made the greatest decision of my life. I
became a Buffalo Bill and so he moved it to
(08:31):
the stadium and it's been at the stadium, and yeah,
it makes me feel good because I was the first
one to know.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
People don't even know twelve hundred people, and I'm glad
how many they all showed up?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You just saw the bill.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
You make, Josh Allen, five hundred rooms. I think you
had to book.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I don't know how many rooms it was, but I'll
tell you what. That check was a big one. But
you know it was worth every single penny. I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, so'm I'm gonna flip.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
It off of that and I want to get in
to a h Marty Lions.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Oh yeah, give me your business.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Giving him the business all again?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Her file put us off a number ninety nine of
the defense aftere pack of the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
He's given him the business down there at the fifteen penalty, given.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Him the business.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Pinder, Well, you saw right there what Marty Lyons is
all about.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I just some of you that to me the other day.
I sent it to you.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
It might have been one of the funniest intros or
descriptions I've ever heard of.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Rev give he was giving him the business.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
So the way he says it, because we had him
on the pod, right and he goes, yeah, he you know,
he's like to have this, yeah, like this this nail,
and he said keep one nail and he suld like
to try to flick it. He's like to get that
spin on the ball. So for PG or whatever, like,
give me your how.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You remember it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I know the whole thing because Marty, I don't know
if you told you this part. He was ticked off
because the official. If you listen to what the official said,
number ninety nine, give him him the business. Marty Lines
number is ninety three. He was pissed already David and
Mark Gasso and didn't give it to him. And well,
(10:14):
he got on top of me, and then when everybody
started piling on, I'd wind up ruling over top of him.
But I had my hands on his face mask, okay,
and I put my finger a hand through his face mask.
When I did, I hit his face. I cut him.
Was Marty, by the way, is who came out blid
you did not me? I say that good because I
(10:36):
got to know Marty Lines very well in Joe Cleco,
who is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
And Joe always tells a story about first time I
played against Kelly. It was they had it first can
go with the one yard line. I thought, hmm, this
is a good time for me to jump off side
and knock that out of him, and Uh, he said,
what are you going to do? A penalty eight inches
(10:58):
back in the day. They don't care. They yeah, I can't.
When you to move to football eight it's you're closer
to the goal line. I can get a good boom
on him, and you got a good boom on me.
I saw some stars, but I came back. I kept
because I heard my brothers stand going, yeah, don't let
them know that you aren't you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Okay, So your brother's older or younger, three older.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
It's interesting because my dad was still working in Pittsburgh,
and uh, he got three boys, and he told my mother,
no more kids, and my mother's oh no, wouldn't you
give a one more try for a girl? So they did.
They had me. Now there's four boys, okay, and dads like,
no more kids. I'm having ProMED fiend these dodge as
(11:40):
it is, and my mother, being a stubborn, feisty Irish women, says,
oh no, We're going to give her one more try
for a boy, I mean a girl. Twin boys we
got said, and of course my dad wind up winning.
They wind up stopping a sixth boys. No girls, I
love that.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Way, well, I mean got lee, I don't even know
what to say. I don't want, so I won't say anything.
But that's like the worst. If I'm your dad, I'm
just like, dude, it's just like I wanted.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
To got six cigarettes in my mouth at one time smoking,
I'm smoking six cigarettes at one time, Like, oh boy.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
You know the best part about it, To be honest
with you, guys, I have my five brothers and what
the closest family can possibly get. I love that they're
always thank God they're all still alive. And when you
have a Christmas party every July at my I have
a nice, bigger lodge in upstate New York, in the country,
(12:39):
and they come every year. Now there's about thirty six
calories that come because all my niece's nephews. Now my
niece and nephews have kids, and now the grandkids and
now I got one coming which I have already have
my grandson now show we had one more. But our
family is the closest you can possibly get any Even
more than that is my sister launched Get Along. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
So talk about your coach turning a hundred, what do
you guys plan on doing with him tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
We'll go for a walk with him. Yeah, he's he's
just the most amazing man. And just to listen, I
sat at the Ragniki launching me Thurman, Andre Bill Poulli
in James Lofton. We all shat a the table with him,
and he got up and gave HU, you know, two cents.
And he's just the most amazing man. I mean the
(13:32):
shame that he has. And I, of course I've been
hit upside my head too many times remember them all,
but he was the most amazing man. And I can remember, guys,
and this is no lie coach leaving after we lost
our third super Bowl, going into that training camp and
going into the fourth one, which of course we start
for scratch again. I knew that Bruce and Thurman and
(13:55):
Andre all those guys, I knew that dead would buster
ass working you know, lifting ever can get ready. But
mentally I wasn't sure because all the negativity you hear
on the off seat, all we don't want to buffalo Bill,
not you guys again, And I didn't know what their
mindset was going to be. First day in training camp,
Marv gets something talk. After that talking, he gave we
(14:17):
were ready to go. Our motto then was let's pisch
everybody off. Let's go back for four. And we did,
even though we didn't win it. But having a head
coach is able to pull all of us together and
for us, even before those Super Bowls, being able to
put our egos to the side. We got a lot
of egos on our team, include myself, I mean, Bruce Thurman,
Andre Corneus, Bennett, Darryl Talley. I hadn't gone on, but
(14:41):
we pulled it all together. But it's because of Marv
leaving our head coach and what you've been able to do.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
We're gonna take a short break and we'll be right back.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
I looked back on that thing because we knew you
guys are coming. And the one thing because I was
a younger man when I was when you guys are
on your run, I hadn't no idea how much. Well
it wasn't called swag at the time, but you guys
showed up Miami shades on.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
You guys were rolling through.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
It didn't look like golfing.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Yeah, yeah, it looked like you guys were just like
this different team. And I just had no idea that
you guys had that much personality. I guess because it
was the wag before swag was, and you know, you know,
the media didn't cover teams like the way they cover
teams now.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Thank god, you guys are phones.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You guys were out there, and I can only imagine
what that was like being around that locker room. Maybe
give us a good story or something that really puts
in perspective who that team was and what their personality was.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
It was like we're all one. It was weird because
no matter, I mean we all we were very superstitious,
or at least I know I wasn't. Some my O
line was. I mean I usedould throw up before every
single game, and my offense line would not allow me
to leave the locker room until I was done throw
it up, and they're like, okay, we're ready to go now.
(16:08):
But we always used to do like Steve Task myself,
we used to walk out together to pregame and then
when we come back to the locker room. I walked
out with my old line every single game. And the
thing is that the times probably the best things that
we had going for us. When we were winning all
these games, I started getting worried about my teammates going
(16:31):
downtown Buffalo drinking and driving and even though most of
them got rides. So I started having parties at the end.
After the games, I had him at my house and
I was owing you about seven minutes from the stadium.
So what they would go do. They would go to
a restaurant called Ilio de Paulo's or like Bruce, his
favorite was Chefs. And after that they would come over.
(16:54):
I say, guys, bring your wives, bring your girlfriends, bring
your family. You know, if you have your family in
my come bring him over to my house. I'd have
one hundred hundred and fifty people my basement, win or lose.
And what we would do is after the game was over,
everybody went to dinner. I would go home and would
get the bar ready and everything, everything ready to go.
(17:14):
Forever the guys come over, I had to bouncer at
the door and if you weren't supposed to be there,
you weren't getting into my house. And he would come in.
But what we would do is everybody had to shine sheets.
Not so much saying you're sitting there, but we knew
what sheets we were sitting in. And we would watch
the game. We watch a game. We just played a buddy,
the guy that did the filming of the game, would
(17:36):
bring it over on the VHSES, Yeah, and he'd put
it in and we would watch and we fast forward
through some places that were very good, but we watch
the whole game and everybody around us, your family were
all around us about i'd say between one hundred hundred
and fifty people every single home game.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
See that that's simple thing right there. Wins games, wins games.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It's no to me.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
That's the soul reason why you guys went to four
straight Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
We were a family. There's no abolutely. I mean you
can you can talk to people that wanted but their
hoes close our team not only you weren't close, which
still are close. Yeah. I mean, of course what Bruce
is going through. And then when I was in the hospital,
you know, my cancer battle, Bruce and Thurm and all
the guys were coming to the hospital and because I
(18:24):
remember when they gave me less than two percent chance
to live a stage four cancer. When they left the room,
they all said, that's probably the last time I'm going
to see him. Because the Lord had different plans for
you know. I mean, my motto was it is now
I might lost for Super Bowl, but I kicked cancers.
But four times, so you go, I just pray to God,
I don't have to do it five times. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I got one for you.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
What was your welcome to the NFL moment?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Well? Which which which shiit you're talking about about welcome?
I remember when I one time I got really cold
cough big time, and I forget who it was. He
stew it over me and says, yeah, boy, this is
not the USFL. I'm like, yes, sir, I really say
(19:12):
yes sir some other time words for him, but boy,
he knocked the hell on me. But the best part
about being part of the NFL was I remember the
first game I ran out. I looked up my soul,
mom and dad, and I knew what we as having
six boys and not having much. I mean, there's too
many Christmases. I mean we used live in the Pittsburgh
(19:34):
in the snow. Our gloves were white sox. That's how
we got shoes that we wore playing basketball that it
holds in a bottle. We got no money. We are
bad off. And I knew when I looked up my
saw mom and dad up anything, I knew that it
was time for going to kick back relax and enjoy life.
It was supposed to be. We put mom and dad
through enough that they deserve to kick back. And unfortunately,
(19:59):
thank god, my dad was able to enjoy, but my
mother had mphigima and she suffered. She was on auction
twenty four hours day. But we're still able to love
her and have her there all the time with us.
We make sure she went to the games, the home games,
and she never made it too super Bowl because she
was too nervous. She couldn't. She could not be a
(20:19):
mother and stand there and not be able to walk
around and watch your son get he beat up.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yeah, and don't don't. Don't put her through that. Don't
don't put her through that. I did, Okay, good. I
want to talk to you about your charitable work. I
think what you've been able to do, you've been me.
I tell Peanut all the time. I learned this from somebody.
It's like, once you're affected by something, you'll become an
advocate for it. And I want to talk about all
your charitable work that you've done for cancer research. I
(20:46):
get beating cancer. You've raised millions and millions of dollars,
and how much pride and enjoy a you take in that,
and I share with us emostly like where are you
at with that?
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Well, to be honest with you, most of the money
I've raised has been for my son's foundation called Hunter Soap.
He had a disease called travity luco dystrophee and what
it does that affects the white matter in their brain,
and what the white matter does controls all your motor skills.
Everything you take for granted every day, to movement of
your arms, your legs, you're hearing, your sight, and you're swallowing.
(21:17):
Your children do not have any of those motor skills.
And the average life's about fourteen months. And I can
honestly say my son them to be eight and a
half years old, and then of course they Telly for
Kids foundation. I raised money for about every year about
forty to forty five charities in Western New York and
the ones that don't have any money, the Boys and
(21:38):
Girls clubs. I mean forty to fifty charities. They get
between five thousand and ten thousan fifteen thousand, depends on
what they get. But that's what I've been doing since
nineteen eighty seven and I continue to do it. And
the people I have, and and of course you know
the cancer part. I do a lot with Jimmy V
and helping them every year, would go on radio and
(22:00):
do it with ESPN, and I try to get them
to raise much money because I get it. I understand
how important cancer is nowadays, as we all well know.
When everybody knows nobody probably more than one person playing
a bunch of them. And the thing is is, as
long as you can go there and be a difference maker,
that's what's about. I came up with the same make
(22:22):
a difference today for someone who's fighting for there tomorrow
because there's so many people out there that are fighting
every day for life. There's a lot of people that
are looking to give up on their life. But if
you can be that difference maker, you don't have to
be a Hall of Fame quarterback or a celebrity artist
or whatever the case may be to be that difference maker.
(22:42):
You guys are doing a great job of being a
difference maker too, And it's just not me. It's so
many people that put your heart, mind and so on
into being a difference maker for that person out there
that was ready to give up. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
I like that, appreciate that successful life, great career. In
the NFL Hall of Famer, Mount Rushmore, you get four
picks to put people that have helped you become the
man you are today. You get four picks for Mount Rushmore.
Who would those four people be.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Oh, boy, Mount rushber Well Number one, my dad, number two,
my high school football coach. As a matter of fact,
he just passed away about three months ago, seventy five.
I took him to thirty two Super Bowls. I took
him all over the world. He was my best friend.
And I should be Terry Henry Joe Kelly, which is
my father, Marv Levy with a doubt, because I gotta understand,
(23:36):
Marv allowed me to call all my plays. I called
all my plays the last six years in the NFL,
And if he wouldn't have allowed that to happen, I
probably wouldn't be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
now because he allowed me to do that. But I
also knew that I had James Lofton, Andre Reid, I
had Thurner Tollas behind me. I had a hell of
an offensive line show. I've been very brash. And then
(23:57):
the fourth one, Wow, that's a off one. Huh. Maybe
I'll put it this way. This is an interesting quick story,
Howard Schnellenberger. Here's my college coach. I remember where I'm from,
pitt Pittsburgh. You either pitter Penn State. Well, I have
the Penn State nity line. I wanted to go there,
(24:18):
and I thought I did enough to show Joe Paturno
that I can play quarterback. Well, unfortunately he told me
that they didn't want me a quarterback anymore. They got
the quarterbacks they want, they said, but we'll give you
a we'll give a scholarship. But he's a linebacker. And
I'm like, God, to be kidding me. I don't want
to play the linebacker. I mean, I was being recruited
to play the linebacker, but I wanted to play quarterback.
(24:40):
So again, fast forward. Now I go to Miami. I
signed with University of Miami. Now we're traveling as a
freshman freshman quarterback up to Penn State to take on
Penn State. They were like, I don't know, eight one
and we're three and six. Were horrible, and I'm the
back up. I'm sitting at pregame meal as you guys
won a pregame meal, I get tap on my shore.
I turn around. I looked up. Is coach Snellenberger his son,
(25:02):
come with me. I need to speak with you. I'm like,
oh no, what did I do wrong with you? Remember?
I went to University of Mind, me of Florida. We
got a lot of fun down there. And I'm thinking
walking away from him. What deck is she call me
out for? He said, son, I decided you're starting today.
I go what he goes. I decided you deserve the opportunity.
You're starting to get ready. First thing I did was
(25:24):
I coached, I need to go to bathroom. I wonder,
I threw it all over and I came back up.
We wind up upsetting him. We'd be in twenty six
or ten. I'm you know. The following we were playing
Alabama and freshman sensation Jim Catley taking on you undefeated
Alabama Crimson Tide. I was three for fifteen, three interceptions,
and I got knocked out cold in the third quarter.
(25:46):
My first four starts were against Penn State, Alabama, Notre
Dame in Florida. Wow, those four are my first and
I came from a really small town. Eight hundred people
go traffic lights. Sixty five of my graduating class, you know,
on my football team here. That was my fourth starts
and Howard Schnellenberger pulled me your shot as your freshman
and told me I want to start, And that was
(26:08):
the change in my life.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
M Man, I love that.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
That's awesome. That was a four pretty damn good ones.
That is yeah, I'll take that.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
I want to get you out here because I know
we got to go, but you I gotta. I would
be sad if I let you walk out of here
and I don't ask you this. You said you called
all the plays, yes, all right? How did you keep.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Thurman, Thomas and everybody else happy?
Speaker 5 (26:33):
Like when I'm calling the plays like I kind of
want to shine, I'm want to throw it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
How did you decide?
Speaker 1 (26:37):
You know what?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
All right, let me feed because Thurman had to get
his touches.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, but but did you know who won m VP?
Rick got your call, the places Starner got m v P.
Thurman had Silven yard Rusher. Oh, trust me, that's one there.
Catcher too out of the bat. Here's the thing with Thurman,
and the thing about him was when I played quarterback,
it did not matter my backside. I knew thermentally he
(27:06):
knew we're the block who to block, so I never
had to worry about and the big thing. The only
guy that I always had to talk to Andre Andre.
I swear to God, that's Steve Tasker James Loft. Andre's
favorite saying was right here, bro right here. I told
we be going to know right here, bro, right here,
I go broch a freaking running play right here. But
(27:35):
he was that good. I get it. I mean Andre
led the league. I mean the guy was amazing. James
Loft was amazing. Thurman Thomas behind. I knew one thing
that I did not do. I was never selfish. I
never got down inside the five yard line. It wasn't
like I'm going to throw the ball to come. The
(27:55):
reason we were so I knew I want to get Andrew.
I don't care. I would get there run pass if
I knew they're getting in the near. Jone was running football.
I was running the ball some and I'm never going
because I've seen it before. Happened that a lot of quarters,
some quarterbacks would rather throw it. Of course you'd rather
throw it, but for me, it was getting in Jone.
(28:16):
That's all time, because we're gonna win by getting that
ball Rick there, Steph kicking the field. We're gonna run
it into the jone. So thank you. I've been very prossed.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I appreciate that explanation.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Thank you, but I know we we appreciate you coming
on a podcast blessed us. These are amazing stories. And
I think the best story you blessed us with was
your locker room and after every game, you guys were
family and everyone came to your house if you.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Weren't supposed to be there. I had a bounce. It
was going to bounce you right up out of there.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
No, they never got they never got chance come in.
I mean sure leaders would come to our door and
they'd have her husband jury, who's that? That's my husband?
Want you can come in? But he can't. She said,
well you about three hour world joke.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Yeah, we we really do appreciate you coming in and
it's giving us these stories. This was this is awesome,
this is great. I remember you as a kid, huge fan,
and this is just a treat.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
For us to have you come on this show.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I appreciate Thank you, man, Thank you man. Appreciate you. Jim.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
Next time we're gonna get some of those Miami stories too,
it's all about the you cool boy. I can't wait
to get that one. So anyway, Man, wherever you are
maybe hey, thank you guys for ever you always tune in.
Wherever you pick up your podcast. Where this Apple podcast?
iHeartRadio app, leave it, likes, share comment, hit that share button,
(29:33):
tell a friend to tell a friend to do what
you tell a friend. We go man, keep showing up Man,
wherever you pick up your podcast at. And also you
can always check out the NFL pages of NFL's new
YouTube channel.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Yeah it's not new, but it's just a YouTube channel. Yeah,
I'm Peanut Tillman. That's Roman Harper, and that is Jim Kelly.
Ladies and gentlemen, And this is the NFL Player's Second
Act podcast and we are out
Speaker 5 (30:00):
By by Bastably by sat by bo
I was born in Pittsburgh. There are six Hall of
Fame quarterbacks that are all within a thirty forty mile
radius to Pittsburgh that were born in Pittsburgh. Shi, Hall
of Fame quarterback, give me four in or six if
you don't that's one.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Come on, man, pick it up.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
There's some easy one yeah, two? Go?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Where are you at? I'm thinking, oh, uh, Tim Kelly, we.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Got three number sixteen? More? Uh you guys. Oh, I
wasn't even born when they played.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh uh the Bears. George Blande, George, George.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You know you're right? And one more probably they considered
one of the.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Indianapolis United Scots. Yeah, you're cheating. No, you are too.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
You google down.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
He went from none to all, spinning him out. I'm like, hey, hey, hey,
shut Thomas over there. I had you going for a minute.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Everybody on Peanut Tollman And this is the NFL Player's
Second Act podcast and with me as always as my
trusty co host Roman.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I am cold, Harper, I am cold.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I am cold.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Get straight through. I guess he's got a great one here. Man,
a great legend.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I grew up watching this man him lead his team
not only in college, but also in the NFL for many,
many years.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
He led his team to four Super Bowls. He's a
cancer survivor. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. He's raised
millions of dollars in cancer research, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
He's also the pride of East Brady, Pennsylvania. You know
what I mean, Fish is the pride of East Brady, Pennsylvania.
Our guest today, quarterback Extraordinaire of the k Gun, Jim Kelly.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Let's go oh yeah, oh yeah, let's go that shittert
Shady s Brady, Pennsylvania where I grew up. What and
people always shay uh? You know what were you drinking? Back?
I don't what our parents can shed just drinking Iron
City beer.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
That's it, Iron City beech.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I wish I love that.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Get me some of that.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
They still make it. Yeah, okay, get me.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
What's it like being in Canpon for Hall of Fame Weekend?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Probably it's a dream I never had. Yeah, growing up
into little boy in Pennsylvania. Again, I always dreamed about
playing the NFL like most guys, most kids do. I
mean I was one of those little kids that you know,
I put number twelve on my shirt Terry Bradshaw on
the field, I was Joe Namath off the field. Okay,
(03:02):
I just remember in two thousand and two when I
I remember being at the Super Bowl with my dad,
my high school football coach, and my five brothers in
a hotel room waiting to see if I was going
to get a phone call if I was going to
be picked first ballot Hall of Famer. I wasn't sure
because when you went to four Super Bowls, you wouldn't
(03:22):
went four in row. It wasn't like we did one here,
one there, we would get four in row. I wasn't
sure if that would keep me from being the first
ballot Hall of Famer. I mean, I had all the
you know, people tell me different things, and I didn't know.
But when they picked me that day, the celebration that
me and my five brothers and my dad had it
(03:44):
was something that I will remember for the rest of
my life. And then, of course because of that day
I had my son was born. I had a son
born on my birthday, Valentine's Day. It was your dream,
you know, having him play football just like Daddy did,
my football camp and all these things, and I remember
(04:04):
the day that I was inducted in August. I remember
standing on a podium and doing my speech, and I
looked over at my son and I knew that he
would never because he was, uh, he was disabled. He
had you know, I couldn't uh walking, talking, smiling, eating everything.
(04:24):
He he didn't have any motor skills. And the average
life was only fourteen months. And my son at that
time when I was inducted, he was five years old
and uh he lived to be eight and a half,
which is awesome, but it was my my dream. And
then I remember my first day going into the Hall
of Fame and you know all the guys you looked
(04:45):
up to. I walked into that room and I saw
Roger sca back, Bob Greasy. I mean, of course I'm
a quarterback. You know, see Joe Nate. But you know
Dick Buck this I mean guy used to had two
I Teching Jones.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
Deacons Deacon Jones, the guy that was before the sack
was created.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah Jack, oh yeah, you got that right. But just
walking in that room and she all these guys, You're like, wow,
Am I really a part of this? Yes? And because
like I said before, I dreaked about going the NFL.
I never dreamt about being your pro football fame. I
mean I grew up in Pittsburg. I mean I Shaw Steeters,
went on Super Bowl, you know, Franco and Jack Lambert,
(05:22):
me and Joe Green and I go on and on,
and here I was being one of them. And never
in million years I'd ever thought.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
You know, you've talked about going to four Super Bowls
and you guys unfortunately didn't win any.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I'm over two in mine.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But the longer we've gotten away from that the losses,
because we talked to Andre Reid, it's amazing how many
bills and the rest of the NFL, it's almost like
we actually give you guys more credit now than ever
before because we haven't had it again. You guys went
to four straight, and so it's like the longer we
get away from that, it's almost we give more guys,
(06:00):
get more and more respect. And I think it makes
you guys just that much more special to have that group.
All you guys are in the Hall of Fame together.
How special is that? Understanding that part of we're looking
at it from that lens.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Oh, without doubt, And I think you said it right
because the further we're removed from there. To people that
understand how hard it was to get back to one.
I mean there's guys like Eric Dickerson one moon, never
been to a super Bowl, and uh, to do what
we did is amazing. And the thing is, there's no
doubt that, especially people that played competitive sports, whether it's football, basketball, baseball, hockey, whatever,
(06:37):
no one to how to get to the finals, get
to that championship game. Everybody. I mean, that's everybody's dream.
Everybody wants you to win. And of course I get that,
so did I. But to be able to get back
there and do the way we get it, never ever
giving up the resiliency that we had, the leadership that
we had in our locker room, and a head coach
(07:00):
like we're giving Marv Reevey, Oh my gosh, there's no
doubt that. I think people look back on that now
and Shay even they've been doing it for a number
of years now. But it's an amazing feet that we had.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
As far as the Hall of Fame, how much pride
do you take and not being in the Hall of
Fame but actually changing the Hall of Fame and the
way we do the production here, all right, And that
is because you actually brought you invited twelve hundred people
to the Hall of Fame. The current record before you
(07:35):
was four hundred and sixty.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
You shattered it.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
So now we have it in the stadium because of
the Jim Kelly, what kind of pride do you take.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
In that statement. I've had more people tell me that again,
I get it, Bill's mafia. It was not Bill's mafia
when I played. It was just Bill's fans. And we
knew when you personally, I knew the way the Buffalo celebration.
I knew the way they were and when I got
inducted on the first ballot, the people in the city,
(08:07):
how they were talking. And when contact the Hall of
Fame I did, my brother did and said, you know what,
I don't think you're gonna want to have this celebration
on the steps because there's gonna be enough room. And
then I made the greatest decision of my life. I
became a Buffalo Bill and so he moved it to
(08:31):
the stadium and it's been at the stadium, and yeah,
it makes me feel good because I was the first
one to know.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
People don't even know twelve hundred people, and I'm glad
how many they all showed up?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You just saw the bill.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
You make, Josh Allen, five hundred rooms. I think you
had to book.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I don't know how many rooms it was, but I'll
tell you what. That check was a big one. But
you know it was worth every single penny. I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, so'm I'm gonna flip.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
It off of that and I want to get in
to a h Marty Lions.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Oh yeah, give me your business.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Giving him the business all again?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Her file put us off a number ninety nine of
the defense aftere pack of the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
He's given him the business down there at the fifteen penalty, given.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Him the business.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Pinder, Well, you saw right there what Marty Lyons is
all about.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I just some of you that to me the other day.
I sent it to you.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
It might have been one of the funniest intros or
descriptions I've ever heard of.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Rev give he was giving him the business.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
So the way he says it, because we had him
on the pod, right and he goes, yeah, he you know,
he's like to have this, yeah, like this this nail,
and he said keep one nail and he suld like
to try to flick it. He's like to get that
spin on the ball. So for PG or whatever, like,
give me your how.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You remember it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I know the whole thing because Marty, I don't know
if you told you this part. He was ticked off
because the official. If you listen to what the official said,
number ninety nine, give him him the business. Marty Lines
number is ninety three. He was pissed already David and
Mark Gasso and didn't give it to him. And well,
(10:14):
he got on top of me, and then when everybody
started piling on, I'd wind up ruling over top of him.
But I had my hands on his face mask, okay,
and I put my finger a hand through his face mask.
When I did, I hit his face. I cut him.
Was Marty, by the way, is who came out blid
you did not me? I say that good because I
(10:36):
got to know Marty Lines very well in Joe Cleco,
who is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
And Joe always tells a story about first time I
played against Kelly. It was they had it first can
go with the one yard line. I thought, hmm, this
is a good time for me to jump off side
and knock that out of him, and Uh, he said,
what are you going to do? A penalty eight inches
(10:58):
back in the day. They don't care. They yeah, I can't.
When you to move to football eight it's you're closer
to the goal line. I can get a good boom
on him, and you got a good boom on me.
I saw some stars, but I came back. I kept
because I heard my brothers stand going, yeah, don't let
them know that you aren't you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Okay, So your brother's older or younger, three older.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
It's interesting because my dad was still working in Pittsburgh,
and uh, he got three boys, and he told my mother,
no more kids, and my mother's oh no, wouldn't you
give a one more try for a girl? So they did.
They had me. Now there's four boys, okay, and dads like,
no more kids. I'm having ProMED fiend these dodge as
(11:40):
it is, and my mother, being a stubborn, feisty Irish women, says,
oh no, We're going to give her one more try
for a boy, I mean a girl. Twin boys we
got said, and of course my dad wind up winning.
They wind up stopping a sixth boys. No girls, I
love that.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Way, well, I mean got lee, I don't even know
what to say. I don't want, so I won't say anything.
But that's like the worst. If I'm your dad, I'm
just like, dude, it's just like I wanted.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
To got six cigarettes in my mouth at one time smoking,
I'm smoking six cigarettes at one time, Like, oh boy.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
You know the best part about it, To be honest
with you, guys, I have my five brothers and what
the closest family can possibly get. I love that they're
always thank God they're all still alive. And when you
have a Christmas party every July at my I have
a nice, bigger lodge in upstate New York, in the country,
(12:39):
and they come every year. Now there's about thirty six
calories that come because all my niece's nephews. Now my
niece and nephews have kids, and now the grandkids and
now I got one coming which I have already have
my grandson now show we had one more. But our
family is the closest you can possibly get any Even
more than that is my sister launched Get Along. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
So talk about your coach turning a hundred, what do
you guys plan on doing with him tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
We'll go for a walk with him. Yeah, he's he's
just the most amazing man. And just to listen, I
sat at the Ragniki launching me Thurman, Andre Bill Poulli
in James Lofton. We all shat a the table with him,
and he got up and gave HU, you know, two cents.
And he's just the most amazing man. I mean the
(13:32):
shame that he has. And I, of course I've been
hit upside my head too many times remember them all,
but he was the most amazing man. And I can remember, guys,
and this is no lie coach leaving after we lost
our third super Bowl, going into that training camp and
going into the fourth one, which of course we start
for scratch again. I knew that Bruce and Thurman and
(13:55):
Andre all those guys, I knew that dead would buster
ass working you know, lifting ever can get ready. But
mentally I wasn't sure because all the negativity you hear
on the off seat, all we don't want to buffalo Bill,
not you guys again, And I didn't know what their
mindset was going to be. First day in training camp,
Marv gets something talk. After that talking, he gave we
(14:17):
were ready to go. Our motto then was let's pisch
everybody off. Let's go back for four. And we did,
even though we didn't win it. But having a head
coach is able to pull all of us together and
for us, even before those Super Bowls, being able to
put our egos to the side. We got a lot
of egos on our team, include myself, I mean, Bruce Thurman,
Andre Corneus, Bennett, Darryl Talley. I hadn't gone on, but
(14:41):
we pulled it all together. But it's because of Marv
leaving our head coach and what you've been able to do.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
We're gonna take a short break and we'll be right back.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
I looked back on that thing because we knew you
guys are coming. And the one thing because I was
a younger man when I was when you guys are
on your run, I hadn't no idea how much. Well
it wasn't called swag at the time, but you guys
showed up Miami shades on.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
You guys were rolling through.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
It didn't look like golfing.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Yeah, yeah, it looked like you guys were just like
this different team. And I just had no idea that
you guys had that much personality. I guess because it
was the wag before swag was, and you know, you know,
the media didn't cover teams like the way they cover
teams now.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Thank god, you guys are phones.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You guys were out there, and I can only imagine
what that was like being around that locker room. Maybe
give us a good story or something that really puts
in perspective who that team was and what their personality was.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
It was like we're all one. It was weird because
no matter, I mean we all we were very superstitious,
or at least I know I wasn't. Some my O
line was. I mean I usedould throw up before every
single game, and my offense line would not allow me
to leave the locker room until I was done throw
it up, and they're like, okay, we're ready to go now.
(16:08):
But we always used to do like Steve Task myself,
we used to walk out together to pregame and then
when we come back to the locker room. I walked
out with my old line every single game. And the
thing is that the times probably the best things that
we had going for us. When we were winning all
these games, I started getting worried about my teammates going
(16:31):
downtown Buffalo drinking and driving and even though most of
them got rides. So I started having parties at the end.
After the games, I had him at my house and
I was owing you about seven minutes from the stadium.
So what they would go do. They would go to
a restaurant called Ilio de Paulo's or like Bruce, his
favorite was Chefs. And after that they would come over.
(16:54):
I say, guys, bring your wives, bring your girlfriends, bring
your family. You know, if you have your family in
my come bring him over to my house. I'd have
one hundred hundred and fifty people my basement, win or lose.
And what we would do is after the game was over,
everybody went to dinner. I would go home and would
get the bar ready and everything, everything ready to go.
(17:14):
Forever the guys come over, I had to bouncer at
the door and if you weren't supposed to be there,
you weren't getting into my house. And he would come in.
But what we would do is everybody had to shine sheets.
Not so much saying you're sitting there, but we knew
what sheets we were sitting in. And we would watch
the game. We watch a game. We just played a buddy,
the guy that did the filming of the game, would
(17:36):
bring it over on the VHSES, Yeah, and he'd put
it in and we would watch and we fast forward
through some places that were very good, but we watch
the whole game and everybody around us, your family were
all around us about i'd say between one hundred hundred
and fifty people every single home game.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
See that that's simple thing right there. Wins games, wins games.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It's no to me.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
That's the soul reason why you guys went to four
straight Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
We were a family. There's no abolutely. I mean you
can you can talk to people that wanted but their
hoes close our team not only you weren't close, which
still are close. Yeah. I mean, of course what Bruce
is going through. And then when I was in the hospital,
you know, my cancer battle, Bruce and Thurm and all
the guys were coming to the hospital and because I
(18:24):
remember when they gave me less than two percent chance
to live a stage four cancer. When they left the room,
they all said, that's probably the last time I'm going
to see him. Because the Lord had different plans for
you know. I mean, my motto was it is now
I might lost for Super Bowl, but I kicked cancers.
But four times, so you go, I just pray to God,
I don't have to do it five times. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I got one for you.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
What was your welcome to the NFL moment?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Well? Which which which shiit you're talking about about welcome?
I remember when I one time I got really cold
cough big time, and I forget who it was. He
stew it over me and says, yeah, boy, this is
not the USFL. I'm like, yes, sir, I really say
(19:12):
yes sir some other time words for him, but boy,
he knocked the hell on me. But the best part
about being part of the NFL was I remember the
first game I ran out. I looked up my soul,
mom and dad, and I knew what we as having
six boys and not having much. I mean, there's too
many Christmases. I mean we used live in the Pittsburgh
(19:34):
in the snow. Our gloves were white sox. That's how
we got shoes that we wore playing basketball that it
holds in a bottle. We got no money. We are
bad off. And I knew when I looked up my
saw mom and dad up anything, I knew that it
was time for going to kick back relax and enjoy life.
It was supposed to be. We put mom and dad
through enough that they deserve to kick back. And unfortunately,
(19:59):
thank god, my dad was able to enjoy, but my
mother had mphigima and she suffered. She was on auction
twenty four hours day. But we're still able to love
her and have her there all the time with us.
We make sure she went to the games, the home games,
and she never made it too super Bowl because she
was too nervous. She couldn't. She could not be a
(20:19):
mother and stand there and not be able to walk
around and watch your son get he beat up.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yeah, and don't don't. Don't put her through that. Don't
don't put her through that. I did, Okay, good. I
want to talk to you about your charitable work. I
think what you've been able to do, you've been me.
I tell Peanut all the time. I learned this from somebody.
It's like, once you're affected by something, you'll become an
advocate for it. And I want to talk about all
your charitable work that you've done for cancer research. I
(20:46):
get beating cancer. You've raised millions and millions of dollars,
and how much pride and enjoy a you take in that,
and I share with us emostly like where are you
at with that?
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Well, to be honest with you, most of the money
I've raised has been for my son's foundation called Hunter Soap.
He had a disease called travity luco dystrophee and what
it does that affects the white matter in their brain,
and what the white matter does controls all your motor skills.
Everything you take for granted every day, to movement of
your arms, your legs, you're hearing, your sight, and you're swallowing.
(21:17):
Your children do not have any of those motor skills.
And the average life's about fourteen months. And I can
honestly say my son them to be eight and a
half years old, and then of course they Telly for
Kids foundation. I raised money for about every year about
forty to forty five charities in Western New York and
the ones that don't have any money, the Boys and
(21:38):
Girls clubs. I mean forty to fifty charities. They get
between five thousand and ten thousan fifteen thousand, depends on
what they get. But that's what I've been doing since
nineteen eighty seven and I continue to do it. And
the people I have, and and of course you know
the cancer part. I do a lot with Jimmy V
and helping them every year, would go on radio and
(22:00):
do it with ESPN, and I try to get them
to raise much money because I get it. I understand
how important cancer is nowadays, as we all well know.
When everybody knows nobody probably more than one person playing
a bunch of them. And the thing is is, as
long as you can go there and be a difference maker,
that's what's about. I came up with the same make
(22:22):
a difference today for someone who's fighting for there tomorrow
because there's so many people out there that are fighting
every day for life. There's a lot of people that
are looking to give up on their life. But if
you can be that difference maker, you don't have to
be a Hall of Fame quarterback or a celebrity artist
or whatever the case may be to be that difference maker.
(22:42):
You guys are doing a great job of being a
difference maker too, And it's just not me. It's so
many people that put your heart, mind and so on
into being a difference maker for that person out there
that was ready to give up. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I like that.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
I like that, appreciate that successful life, great career. In
the NFL Hall of Famer, Mount Rushmore, you get four
picks to put people that have helped you become the
man you are today. You get four picks for Mount Rushmore.
Who would those four people be.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Oh, boy, Mount rushber Well Number one, my dad, number two,
my high school football coach. As a matter of fact,
he just passed away about three months ago, seventy five.
I took him to thirty two Super Bowls. I took
him all over the world. He was my best friend.
And I should be Terry Henry Joe Kelly, which is
my father, Marv Levy with a doubt, because I gotta understand,
(23:36):
Marv allowed me to call all my plays. I called
all my plays the last six years in the NFL,
And if he wouldn't have allowed that to happen, I
probably wouldn't be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
now because he allowed me to do that. But I
also knew that I had James Lofton, Andre Reid, I
had Thurner Tollas behind me. I had a hell of
an offensive line show. I've been very brash. And then
(23:57):
the fourth one, Wow, that's a off one. Huh. Maybe
I'll put it this way. This is an interesting quick story,
Howard Schnellenberger. Here's my college coach. I remember where I'm from,
pitt Pittsburgh. You either pitter Penn State. Well, I have
the Penn State nity line. I wanted to go there,
(24:18):
and I thought I did enough to show Joe Paturno
that I can play quarterback. Well, unfortunately he told me
that they didn't want me a quarterback anymore. They got
the quarterbacks they want, they said, but we'll give you
a we'll give a scholarship. But he's a linebacker. And
I'm like, God, to be kidding me. I don't want
to play the linebacker. I mean, I was being recruited
to play the linebacker, but I wanted to play quarterback.
(24:40):
So again, fast forward. Now I go to Miami. I
signed with University of Miami. Now we're traveling as a
freshman freshman quarterback up to Penn State to take on
Penn State. They were like, I don't know, eight one
and we're three and six. Were horrible, and I'm the
back up. I'm sitting at pregame meal as you guys
won a pregame meal, I get tap on my shore.
I turn around. I looked up. Is coach Snellenberger his son,
(25:02):
come with me. I need to speak with you. I'm like,
oh no, what did I do wrong with you? Remember?
I went to University of Mind, me of Florida. We
got a lot of fun down there. And I'm thinking
walking away from him. What deck is she call me
out for? He said, son, I decided you're starting today.
I go what he goes. I decided you deserve the opportunity.
You're starting to get ready. First thing I did was
(25:24):
I coached, I need to go to bathroom. I wonder,
I threw it all over and I came back up.
We wind up upsetting him. We'd be in twenty six
or ten. I'm you know. The following we were playing
Alabama and freshman sensation Jim Catley taking on you undefeated
Alabama Crimson Tide. I was three for fifteen, three interceptions,
and I got knocked out cold in the third quarter.
(25:46):
My first four starts were against Penn State, Alabama, Notre
Dame in Florida. Wow, those four are my first and
I came from a really small town. Eight hundred people
go traffic lights. Sixty five of my graduating class, you know,
on my football team here. That was my fourth starts
and Howard Schnellenberger pulled me your shot as your freshman
and told me I want to start, And that was
(26:08):
the change in my life.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
M Man, I love that.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
That's awesome. That was a four pretty damn good ones.
That is yeah, I'll take that.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
I want to get you out here because I know
we got to go, but you I gotta. I would
be sad if I let you walk out of here
and I don't ask you this. You said you called
all the plays, yes, all right? How did you keep.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Thurman, Thomas and everybody else happy?
Speaker 5 (26:33):
Like when I'm calling the plays like I kind of
want to shine, I'm want to throw it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
How did you decide?
Speaker 1 (26:37):
You know what?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
All right, let me feed because Thurman had to get
his touches.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, but but did you know who won m VP?
Rick got your call, the places Starner got m v P.
Thurman had Silven yard Rusher. Oh, trust me, that's one there.
Catcher too out of the bat. Here's the thing with Thurman,
and the thing about him was when I played quarterback,
it did not matter my backside. I knew thermentally he
(27:06):
knew we're the block who to block, so I never
had to worry about and the big thing. The only
guy that I always had to talk to Andre Andre.
I swear to God, that's Steve Tasker James Loft. Andre's
favorite saying was right here, bro right here. I told
we be going to know right here, bro, right here,
I go broch a freaking running play right here. But
(27:35):
he was that good. I get it. I mean Andre
led the league. I mean the guy was amazing. James
Loft was amazing. Thurman Thomas behind. I knew one thing
that I did not do. I was never selfish. I
never got down inside the five yard line. It wasn't
like I'm going to throw the ball to come. The
(27:55):
reason we were so I knew I want to get Andrew.
I don't care. I would get there run pass if
I knew they're getting in the near. Jone was running football.
I was running the ball some and I'm never going
because I've seen it before. Happened that a lot of quarters,
some quarterbacks would rather throw it. Of course you'd rather
throw it, but for me, it was getting in Jone.
(28:16):
That's all time, because we're gonna win by getting that
ball Rick there, Steph kicking the field. We're gonna run
it into the jone. So thank you. I've been very prossed.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I appreciate that explanation.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Thank you, but I know we we appreciate you coming
on a podcast blessed us. These are amazing stories. And
I think the best story you blessed us with was
your locker room and after every game, you guys were
family and everyone came to your house if you.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Weren't supposed to be there. I had a bounce. It
was going to bounce you right up out of there.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
No, they never got they never got chance come in.
I mean sure leaders would come to our door and
they'd have her husband jury, who's that? That's my husband?
Want you can come in? But he can't. She said,
well you about three hour world joke.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Yeah, we we really do appreciate you coming in and
it's giving us these stories. This was this is awesome,
this is great. I remember you as a kid, huge fan,
and this is just a treat.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
For us to have you come on this show.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I appreciate Thank you, man, Thank you man. Appreciate you. Jim.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
Next time we're gonna get some of those Miami stories too,
it's all about the you cool boy. I can't wait
to get that one. So anyway, Man, wherever you are
maybe hey, thank you guys for ever you always tune in.
Wherever you pick up your podcast. Where this Apple podcast?
iHeartRadio app, leave it, likes, share comment, hit that share button,
(29:33):
tell a friend to tell a friend to do what
you tell a friend. We go man, keep showing up Man,
wherever you pick up your podcast at. And also you
can always check out the NFL pages of NFL's new
YouTube channel.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Yeah it's not new, but it's just a YouTube channel. Yeah,
I'm Peanut Tillman. That's Roman Harper, and that is Jim Kelly.
Ladies and gentlemen, And this is the NFL Player's Second
Act podcast and we are out
Speaker 5 (30:00):
By by Bastably by sat by bo
Hosts And Creators
Jamie Erdahl
Jason McCourty
Kyle Brandt
Peter Schrager
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