Former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is scheduled for another surgery in his ongoing battle with oral cancer in June and his fight will be honored at the ESPY Awards in July.
Kelly announced at his charity golf tournament on Monday that he has been selected as the recipient of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. The award is named after the late Jim Valvano, who died of cancer less than two months after delivering a memorable speech at the ESPYs about never giving up the fight against the disease.
Kelly may have jumped the gun on the announcement as ESPN initially said that no final choice had been made, but Adam Schefter reports that his employers will make it official on Monday. The event will be broadcast live on July 18.
“God willing I’ll be there,” Kelly said, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
Kelly is the second former Bills player to receive the award. Kevin Everett received it in 2008 after learning to walk again in the wake of a spinal injury suffered during the 2007 season.
