25 years ago, ESPN debuted its version of the Oscars. Known as the ESPYs, one of the show’s purposes was recognizing the standout individual and team achievements in sports over the previous year. But what truly stood out from that inaugural event remains one of the most profound speeches ever given by a sports figure.
Less than a year after being diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma, a cancer of the glands that oftentimes spreads to one’s bones, Jim Valvano walked onto the Madison Square Garden stage. The speech he subsequently delivered not only captivated those in attendance and the millions watching on television. It provided a long-lasting inspiration to those battling cancer that remains to this day.
Though Valvano lost his battle two months later, his speech and what came out of it live on in prosperous fashion. The V Foundation he helped found continues to be at the forefront of cancer research, with over $200 million in grants awarded since its inception. And a simple yet poignant quote from his 10 minutes of inspired oration will live on forever.
“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”
Jim Kelly is an emblematic example of that spirit.
Jim Kelly’s Cancer Battle an Inspiring Example of Steadfastness in the Face of Adversity
It’s for that reason that the legendary former Buffalo Bills quarterback is receiving the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs on Wednesday. First awarded in 2007, the honor “is given to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through physical perseverance and determination.” The past five years of Kelly’s life have shown such qualities in rather stark fashion.
Two Diagnoses, Two Triumphs
It all began late in 2012 when Kelly began experiencing pain in his upper jaw. After undergoing tests, doctors eventually took out a cyst from his gums and nasal cavity in March of 2013. Three months later, he announced for the first time publicly he had been diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma and had to have part of his jaw removed.
The surgical procedure brought hope that such a harrowing ordeal was now over. Kelly himself declared that he was cancer-free just a few weeks after surgery at the youth football camp he’s conducted since 1988. But the following March, during a follow-up screening, doctors discovered that the cancer had indeed returned. Kelly was in for the battle of his life over the next few months.
For during that time, he underwent an aggressive regimen of radiation and chemotherapy to attack the cancer head-on. Though it’s an oftentimes effective process, there are a host of painful side effects that occur over the course of the treatment. Photos and videos of a weak and emaciated Kelly were tough to see for Bills fans who remember him presiding over the greatest era in franchise history. But it was the unending support from his family, friends, former teammates and opponents, Bills Mafia, and NFL fans as a whole that helped him endure such difficult times.
Fans, Regardless of Team, Rejoice
The answer to everyone’s prayers came in August of 2014 when doctors announced they could not find any sign of cancerous cells in his jaw or anywhere in his sinus cavity. Such positive developments had to feel like a bonus to the Western New York community with the NFL season at hand. And though the Bills missed the playoffs, they finished above .500 for just the second time since they last qualified.
Kelly essentially sacked cancer in the end zone because he now had a 2-0 lead against it. His successful battle served as an inspiration to so many around the country and indeed the world, including those in the midst of their own fight for their life. Nowhere was that on display more than at the 2015 NFL Draft. When Kelly joined NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage to announce the Bills’ second-round pick, he received a standing ovation that went well over a minute. It was a gleaming example that when it comes to these kinds of things, we’re united regardless of our fandom.
The Toughness of Mind, Body, and Spirit
#KellyTough certainly became an oft-used social media hashtag when mentioning the Hall of Fame quarterback. But even before his diagnosis, Kelly’s relentless and positive energy in dealing with adversity manifested itself time and time again. Those early 1990s Bills teams obviously carry with them the dubious distinction of having lost the Super Bowl four straight times. But no other NFL team, before or since, can boast that many consecutive appearances. That speaks to a mental toughness and inner belief emanating from the team and its field general behind center.
It doesn’t end there. Kelly faced another challenge in life when his son Hunter was born on his 37th birthday in 1997. Shortly after birth, doctors diagnosed Hunter with globoid cell leukodystrophy which is commonly known as Krabbe Disease. Due to the severity of this degenerative neurological disorder, Hunter was given three years to live. But in 2002, he attended his father’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and held on for three years after that. His spirit lives on in the Hunter’s Hope Foundation, founded by Kelly in 1997, as well as the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute, incorporated into the University at Buffalo School of Medicine in 2008.
Cancer’s Next Loss
Kelly’s honor at the ESPYs comes in the face of more adversity. In March of this year, he announced that his cancer returned once more which facilitated reconstructive surgery on his upper jaw. He underwent another procedure last month and on Tuesday he said he’s scheduled for another checkup after “something came up.” It’s just the latest battle he’s attacked head-on, the motivation and drive of which comes from what he saw his late son endure.
“I watched what he went through for eight and a half years of his life,” Kelly told the Buffalo News. “I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody. He’s the one that really taught me to keep fighting. … Even though he never spoke a word, he made a difference in my life.”
Kelly becomes the second Bills player to receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award. In 2008, Kevin Everett was so honored after his own inspiring battle to walk again following a devastating spinal injury suffered in Week One of the 2007 season that left him paralyzed. Both have demonstrated extraordinary responses to significant adversity. In Kelly’s case, it comes against a merciless disease that requires the utmost fortitude.
But that’s what we’ve come to expect out of an all-time great at the most important position in the NFL. And make no mistake about it, cancer is about to be on the wrong end of a three-game skid.
