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Jim Kelly's Day Of Induction
2002 Hall of Fame Inductee
Special to Game Day Magazine
Nov. 7, 2002
The
atmosphere at the Hall of Fame ceremony was similar to a typical game-day
at Ralph Wilson Stadium. |
If any of us were lucky enough to be inducted into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame, what would our thoughts be that day? What would
run through our mind as our name was called out as one of the new inductees
for that year's class? How would you feel after the ceremony? Jim
Kelly gives his insight on that special day that few ever have the
chance to feel.
5:29 a.m.-My alarm goes off and I greet the morning
with all of the anticipation that a day of this magnitude can bring. There
are but only a handful of days in our lives when we can point to a specific
day, previous to its occurrence, and say this day will have an affect
on the rest of my life. But this is one of those rare days and I will
do everything I can to remember as much of it as I can for as long as
I can.
6:30 a.m.-All of the Hall of Fame members are invited
to this morning's breakfast and this begins the day's activities. The
atmosphere is extremely casual and we're all enjoying a few laughs to
begin what will be a very emotionally filled day.
7:30 a.m.-The Hoover Company Grand Parade is set
to begin and I'm riding in the car with Marv Levy. What an honor it is
to sit next to Coach. One of the great things about Marv is his sense
of humor. I'm not sure all of our fans ever knew that about him and it
was always one his greatest qualities. Many of the Hall of Famers have
teased me about inviting all of my friends to line the streets of Canton.
Little do they know that my friends aren't even awake yet.
11:58 a.m.-The excitement of this moment, the introduction
of all of the previous Hall of Famers in attendance, is overwhelming,
and yet it feels much different than the moment before a kickoff. My good
buddy, Chris Berman, is introducing my new "team" and I have
to pinch myself when I begin to realize that my name will now be added
to this list of the NFL's Who's Who. We walk out on stage and I am literally
in awe of how many Bills fans are in attendance, many of them wearing
my jersey. Many of the Hall of Famers are shouting to me over the crowd
"Hey, thanks for inviting us to this Bills home game." I am
blown away by the Bills fans' loyalty and energy, just as I was on so
many fall Sundays in Western New York.
2:14 p.m.-Coach Levy, my presenter, is now at the
podium, spinning his eloquent prose about me. And a chilling thought runs
through my mind, "How in the heck am I going to follow him?"
I close my eyes for a quick moment and try to take it all in. Remember….I'm
trying to remember as much of this as I possibly can…and now I can
hear him shout over the raucous crowd…."Jim Kelly!" I take
a deep breath, walk to the podium and think one last thought…"Don't
screw this up!"
2:28 p.m.-I begin my speech, "Thank you so much…"
and the opening sentences come to me much easier than I had anticipated.
This is a speech from the heart but I have rehearsed it many times, knowing
that it will probably be "the most-listened-to" of my public
speaking endeavors. In its own way, it's like a trip through my life as
I chronicle my journey through football and all of the people who have
made the trip worth taking. I have to choke back the emotions as I talk
about my mom, "St. Alice" and what she has meant to our family
and me. The same goes for my dad and all of my brothers. It's fun to talk
about my teammates, many of whom are in attendance, and see the crowd
cheer each and every Bills teammate I mention by name. There's Thurman…Andre…Bruce's
big smile…my main man Kent…Frankie J…Tasker, he must be
standing on a chair…and all the rest. There, I mentioned all that
are here. Oh (expletive)! I forgot to talk about Darryl, the heart and
soul of our defense and, in many ways, our team. He'll be all over me
when I see him at the party. Now I just have to keep myself composed as
I get to the most emotional part of my speech when I talk about my loving
wife Jill and our two sweet daughters, Erin and Camryn. And now finally,
to my hero, my son, Hunter, and the thoughts that overcome me at this
moment are beyond description. I am so thankful to God that Hunter fights
on. This day would have been incomplete without him, because to me, this
day is as much about Hunter as it is about me. I know not to pause or
I'll get choked up so I keep going and make it through. There, that went
great! Did I forget a page of the speech? Tell me I didn't forget a page!
That almost seemed to go too well. No, okay, I got 'em all. These fans
are unbelievable! I have a great sigh of relief and exhilaration all wrapped
into one defining moment.
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2:58 p.m.-I am now ushered over to an area on the
side of the stage where they shoot my photo with the bust of me that will
become a permanent fixture in the Hall of Fame. Hmmm…I have to admit,
it does look like me. I can't believe a guy from little Easy Brady, PA
is doing this. I wish everyone could experience this feeling. Marv joins
me for a few shots and then Mr. Wilson joins us upon my urging as he walks
over to congratulate me. I have a flashback to Mr. Wilson and myself posing
for photos at the press conference upon my arrival to Buffalo as we both
stood at the podium holding up my new #12 jersey. It's hard to believe
that was 16 years ago.
3:46 p.m.-The Hall has provided me with a car and
driver, Gary Spino, and he takes me to the Sheraton hotel to attend the
party that Mr. Wilson is throwing in my honor. It is great to see so many
of the people from the Bills organization that made my years at One Bills
Drive so special. During the party they shoot a photo of me with my teammates.
Many of us have changed physically, but we hold a common bond that will
never change. We will forever hold a brief moment in football lore to
be remembered as one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL known as
the K-Gun, the no-huddle offense. If my steps feel cushioned it's because
I'm walking on clouds. I still can't believe all that this day represents.
I played this game because I loved it. I walked away from it with hundreds
of friends, thousands of fans and memories to last 10 lifetimes.
6:15 p.m.-I am on my way to the hotel in Akron, where
my family, friends, teammates and coaches are occupying over 500 rooms,
a record the Hall of Fame officials tell me will never be broken. We will
party well into the night, reliving moments and games. It's funny how
earlier in the day I wanted to concentrate on remembering everything about
today and when I lay my head down on the pillow tonight I will wonder
how I could possibly ever forget.
- Talk
about it on the Bills message board -
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