August 18, 1986: Jim Kelly finally signed with the team he wanted nothing to do with. Just three years earlier, Buffalo had drafted Kelly 14th overall, but he didn’t want to go there. He had tears in his eyes when the Bills selected him because he didn’t believe they could build a championship team. Instead, he chose the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.

And when Kelly finally came to Buffalo, the Bills had just endured two straight 2–14 seasons and sold fewer than 20,000 season tickets. The signing was so big that Kelly arrived from Houston on Ralph Wilson’s private plane, was greeted at the airport, and traveled downtown in a police-escorted limousine. Forty years later, on that same date, Kelly returned to Western New York for another special welcome, this time alongside his wife Jill, Town of Hamburg leaders, and former Bills teammates.

The Town of Hamburg had named a football field after him. Located at Alumni Park near the new Highmark Stadium, Jim Kelly Field was officially opened with the Bills legend himself there to inaugurate it. Later, Kelly took to Instagram to reflect on the gesture.

“I don’t even know where to begin with how much this means to me. To have Jim Kelly Field at Alumni Park dedicated in my name, on this day 40 years after I first came to Western New York, is something I never could have imagined,” Kelly wrote. “A huge thank you to the Town of Hamburg and everyone who made this possible. I’m truly humbled and grateful to know generations of kids will play the game I love on this field!!”

Located in Alumni Park, the new Jim Kelly Field sits at the corner of Big Tree Road and Parker Road in Orchard Park, New York, and is nearly five minutes away from the new Highmark Stadium. The field has a giant Hall of Fame logo in honor of Kelly, who was inducted in 2002. The new field was first shown to the public last month. But now, it is officially open for use.

Kelly made his debut for the Bills in the 1986 season opener against the New York Jets, and the rest is history. He spent 11 seasons in Buffalo, wrapping up his journey with 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns. Kelly led the Bills to eight playoff appearances and four Super Bowl games. He is especially known for leading the Bills to victory out of near-collapses, with plenty of fourth-quarter comebacks.

The field also paid tribute to his only son, Hunter James Kelly, with his initials displayed. He passed away in 2005 aged only eight years, after a fight with Krabbe disease, an inherited degenerative disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

“Having Hunter’s initials on the field makes it even more special. No one has impacted and changed lives quite like my son Hunter, and having a piece of him forever on this field means everything to me,” he wrote in his Instagram post. 

Town officials are still discussing what events the field can be used for. Kelly told WGRZ that as long as people are safe, he is open to anything. It might be used for parties by Bills fans, as the new stadium is very close to the field.

The above project will eventually be a part of the Buffalo Legacy Trail. As part of the first phase, supporters can purchase $100 engraved bricks that will be permanently placed along the Legacy Trail.