Jim Kelly’s father instilled the “Kelly Tough” mantra early on in his six sons. He believed the motivation to excel must come from within.
Kelly would lean on that lesson for the rest of his life. Not only to will himself to a college scholarship and a Hall of Fame football career, but also to soldier through a debilitating shoulder injury, the disappointment of four-consecutive Super Bowl losses, the death of a young son and his own yearslong battle with cancer. The toughness he needed to endure his life’s challenges took shape decades before, thanks to a few simple, stern instructions from a father who wanted his sons to flourish.
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