Jim Kelly with Expenses Normal Supervisor Invoice Polian, signing autographs in a while after signing with the Expenses in 1986.
When Expenses quarterback Josh Allen signed a six-year, $258 million contract extension previous this month, many longtime Buffalo soccer observers concept again to the day 35 years in the past when hungry enthusiasts coated overpasses alongside the 33 to welcome Jim Kelly to town because the Expenses’ new million-dollar arm.
Ralph Wilson welcomes Jim Kelly to Buffalo on the airport, 1986.
“What we are actually taken with is rebuilding this franchise to respectability,” mentioned crew proprietor Ralph Wilson.
After two 2-14 seasons for the Expenses, the crew made Kelly the highest-paid participant in league historical past with a five-year, $7.5 million contract.
Fanatics cheered and waved indicators as a police-escorted motorcade took Kelly’s limousine from Prior Aviation on the airport to a ceremonial signing press convention on the Buffalo Hilton (which changed into the Adam’s Mark and is now the Buffalo Grand Resort).
In what used to be then considered by means of a minimum of one native newspaper editorial board as “media overkill,” Channels 2, 4, and seven each and every reduce out of community information to hold prolonged protection of the Kelly press match. Previous time soccer enthusiasts again then couldn’t consider any pleasure at that stage since 1969 when O.J. Simpson got here to the Expenses.
“That is like Christmas,” mentioned some of the throng of long-suffering Expenses loyalists looking forward to the non-public aircraft which took Kelly from Houston to Buffalo.
