'PRAISE THE LORD': Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly Is Cancer Free

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is cancer free again. He and his family received the great news exactly one week after he gave a powerful speech at the ESPYS.

"Double thumbs up! MRI and CTScans are clear," his wife Jill posted on Instagram this morning next to a photo of Jim giving a double thumbs up. "Still working through major pain management, but PRAISE THE LORD, no evidence of cancer."

 

Double thumbs up! MRI and CTScans are clear. Still working through major pain management, but PRAISE THE LORD, no evidence of cancer. And can I just say, Jim’s brothers are amazing! I’ve watched them stand with Jim in good times and bad. I’ve witnessed a love between siblings that is remarkable. What a blessing to be part of such an amazing family. Thank you Pat, Ray, Ed, Danny and Kevin for being an example of what a loving, devoted family should look like. Add your humor and faith to the mix and we have everything we need. Love you guys so much!

A post shared by Jill Kelly (@jillmkelly) on Jul 25, 2018 at 8:41am PDT

It's been an up and down battle for Kelly. In 2013, he first had surgery to take out squamous cell carcinoma in his jaw, according to WKBW.com. The following year, the cancer came back.

He then underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and in the fall of 2014 was declared cancer free.

In March of this year, Kelly said the oral cancer came back again. He then had additional surgeries including one last month. 

When the cancer returned in March, his wife Jill released an emotional message indicating how they planned to keep fighting the battle – through faith in God.

"We are shocked, heartbroken, sad, angry, confused and just darn tired," Jill Kelly wrote. "Yet despite how we feel, we KNOW that God is a promise maker and keeper. ... The more life and heartbreak I experience, the more I realize that this is not the end of the story."

After receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2018 ESPYS, Kelly gave an inspiring acceptance speech, saying, "Always, always persevere. Like Jimmy V said, never, ever give up."

The Jimmy V Award is named for the late Jim Valvano, a former North Carolina State men's basketball coach, who gave an emotional acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1993. He was battling cancer, and during the speech said, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."