Without a Word_ How a Boy's Unspoken Love Changed Everything - Jill Kelly [4]
We were given the cue, and it was time. Time for Jim to walk away from the game he loved, the game he lived for each and every Sunday, the game that had shaped our family for so many years.
“Well, I guess this is it,” Jim said solemnly as he took my hand.
We made our way up to the platform while hundreds of fans cheered and shouted.
“You’re the best, Jimbo!” one man hollered.
“We’ll miss you, Jim!” another shouted.
When the crowd of adoring enthusiasts finally quieted, we all listened intently as team owner Ralph Wilson and head coach Marv Levy made their opening remarks. Each talked about Jim’s many accomplishments and expressed gratitude for the man who wore number 12. The heart and soul of the Buffalo Bills football team, my husband, Jim, was retiring. It just didn’t seem real.
Especially since we knew Jim could still play and win. He was as tough, driven, and passionate as ever. Both Dan Marino and John Elway—Jim’s fellow members of the NFL draft class of 1983—were still suiting up for their respective teams. But Bills management had determined that it was time for new direction at the quarterback position. Believing the franchise needed some younger blood, the Bills dynasty had regrouped and was looking for someone fresh to take the snaps. A new hero.
In his eleven seasons with the team, Jim had been that hero. He’d put Buffalo on the NFL map and brought life to the city and its thousands of fans with his gritty performances each Sunday. He had also grown to love Western New York and its people. So while other teams had expressed interest in Jim once the Bills had announced their decision, Jim wasn’t about to pour his life into a new offense no matter how much they would pay him. His heart was sold out to Buffalo; no other team would do. And though it hurt deeply, Jim accepted the front office’s decision with the same class, grace, and toughness that had characterized his career.
What would the Bills do now? I wondered. What would the city of Buffalo do? What would Jim do? With so many questions running through my mind, I could only imagine what was going through Jim’s.
As he began his retirement speech, the strain and the difficulty of stepping away was written all over his face. Nevertheless, Jim delivered his farewell with poise, though choked with emotion at times.
“This is going to be tough,” he began, “and I thought saying my wedding vows was tough.” Jim laughed as he glanced over at me. In that moment, I thought back to our wedding day and how emotional Jim was when he said his vows. He had indeed struggled to hold back tears during our ceremony, which was shocking. As we stood together now on the Fieldhouse podium before so many fans who loved Jim, it was obvious that leaving the game he loved so passionately was moving him deeply.
“First of all, I want to thank you all for coming,” he said. “I have a few words to say to not only my teammates but to all the fans in Buffalo, and to the media, and to everybody who’s been not just a Jim Kelly fan but a fan of my family.”
I stood next to Jim and tried my best not to look out at the entire Kelly family all lined up in the first row. I knew if I caught their gaze, I would lose it.
“As you might imagine, this hasn’t been easy,” Jim stated. “I’ve had to make the most difficult decision of my entire life. I’ve been playing the game of football for over twenty-eight years. Many of my dreams have been fulfilled, many goals have been achieved, but most important to me, I’ve been able to take care of the people I love. So today, I stand before you to officially announce my retirement from the Buffalo Bills and the National Football League.”
And then Jim stopped, his eyes filling with tears long withheld. Then I started crying. Of course, my being nine months pregnant didn