Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly has revealed he suffered a stroke this spring, adding another serious health battle to a life already marked by multiple cancer diagnoses.
The 66-year-old Hall of Fame quarterback opened up about the health scare Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium.
Kelly said the stroke happened about a month and a half ago, but he told fans he is feeling better now.
“I had a little setback about a month and a half ago,” Kelly said. “But right now, I feel good. Eyesight’s not great. My hearing still sucks, but that’s part of life.”
The update came eight years after Kelly’s long and public battle with cancer. The former quarterback has been diagnosed with cancer four times and underwent surgeries and chemotherapy treatments in 2013, 2014 and 2018.
Despite everything he has faced, Kelly sounded upbeat as he joined the Bills organization to celebrate the team’s future home.
The new stadium is expected to bring a louder, more intense game-day atmosphere, and Kelly said he cannot wait to see Bills fans pack the place.
“I want to see how loud this stadium can get,” he said. “And from what I’ve been told, it’s going to be unbelievable. I don’t expect anything less.”
Kelly remains one of the most beloved figures in Buffalo sports history. He played for the Bills from 1986 to 1996 and led the team to four straight Super Bowl appearances, becoming the face of one of the most memorable eras in franchise history.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
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