Event Date: May 7th, 1983
Event Description: Concordes Court Kelly
Source: United Press International
Quarterback Jim Kelly said he 'just wants to play football. But the Montreal Concordes recently discovered it will take much than a ball and a uniform to entice the first-round NFL draft choice to play at Olympic Stadium.
Kelly, chosen 14th overall by the Buffalo Bills in this years' NFL draft, made his third stop of the week on a tour of teams hoping to sign the former Heisman Trophy candidate from the University of Miami. He is being been courted by the Bills and the Chicago Blitz of the USFL.
“It's not just a question of money, we expect them all to be comparable,” said Kelly's agent Greg Lustig, who added the Blitz had offered a car, a condiminium, a clothing deal and radio and television contracts with their salary offer. “I don't think any team is out of the game at this time. We're looking for things off the field as well as on.”
Kelly, who set season and career passing records at Miami and broke George Mira's school record of 11 touchdown passes in a single year, was one of North American's most sought after college quarterbacks after leading his team to 9-3 and 9-2 records in his sophomore and junior seasons. Though he suffered a shoulder separation in 1982, the 23-year-old Kelly said his arm was “about 95 percent” healed.
The Concordes, who recently courted and lost Southern Mississippi pivot Reggie Collier to the USFL, hope the city's off-field amenities and business opportunites can lure the East Brady, Penn., north of the border.
Lustig said Buffalo's advantage was the prestige of the NFL, but its disadvantage was that it's "an economically depressed area." In Montreal's favor was that Kelly's girlfriend lives in Montreal and he's familiar with the city.
Story-(UPI)
Photo: (Hurricane Sports)
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