Here is a neat piece for old Buffalo Bills fans. In 1992, Jack Kemp was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, an organization whose also counts among it’s inductees, Don Majikowski, Bob McAdoo, and Sal “The Barber” Maglie. This is a video of Paul Maguire’s introduction of Kemp, and Kemp’s following acceptance speech. It is neat to see how even (at that point) 30+ years after he had retired, Jack Kemp’s teammates still held a special place in his heart. Also of note, I thought, was that although he was undoubtedly not in the audience, the first teammate that Kemp acknowledged was his running back, Cookie Gilchrist. Kemp was a polished public speaker, and he gets in more than a few great lines, especially at the expense of his old buddy, Paul Maguire.
Be sure to watch through the end, as some great color highlights from the Bills AFL years have been added on after the conclusion of Kemp’s speech.
I would be curious to know, via reader response, how you all feel about Kemp’s worthiness for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I have yet to put together a HoF Comparison for Kemp, but I would be interested to hear your input, both pro and con.
I compared Kemp to 17 HOF or should-be HOF quarterbacks, and he ranked at or near the bottom in the “usual” QB categories like passer rating, interceptions per attempt, etc.; although he had more TDs and yards passing than HOFer Otto Graham, and a better TD/attempt ratio than Graham, Bobby Layne, or Norm Van Brocklin.
I believe that like van Brocklin and Layne, Kemp’s HOF qualities were his persistence, toughness and leadership.
When compared to his AFL peers, Kemp was the first 3,000 yard passer in the American Football League (1960, 14-game schedule) and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1965. He was the only Professional Football player to pass for three touchdowns in the first quarter of a game, against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the 1964 AFL season, until the record was tied but not broken, 57 years later in 2011. Kemp had the most career passes attempted, most completions and most yards gained passing in the history of the American Football League, although he sat out 1968 with an injury. He was an AFL All-star six consecutive years and for seven of the league’s ten years, and the only quarterback to be a starter in five AFL Championship Games. Kemp co-founded the American Football League Players Association, *before* there was an NFLPA, and was elected its president five times. During his Professional Football career, he sustained a dozen concussions, two broken ankles and a crushed hand — which Kemp insisted a doctor permanently set, around a football, in a passing position so that he could continue to play.
van Brocklin and Layne were selected to the HOF by electors who had seen them play, and recognized “that certain quality”, in spite of their poor “statistics”. They passed the “eyeball test”. Unfortunately for Kemp and a dozen other AFL superstars, the writers who saw them play are retired (at best) or deceased, and those players will never be recognized as they should. But *I* saw Kemp play, and I know a Hall-of Famer when I see one! http://www.remembertheafl.com/JackFrenchKempAmericanFootballLeague.htm
Under my “rule” that any AFL player who as an All Star for at least three years should be an automatic HOF induction. Kemp should be a shoo in.
However, it is true that his numbers as you describe are not superlative. Ange, you saw him more than anyone. I realize that passing statistics pre- 1978 are generally much lower than today, but, why were Kemp’s numbers so bad for such a great player?
Thanks for posting Todd. Football aside, Kemp was, like the video states, a statesman. Listen to him talk about the diversity and strength of the City of Buffalo. He ends his speech by quoting JFK, a member of the opposite party. After President Obama was elected in 2008, he wrote a letter to his grand-kids where he remembers playing for the AFL championship in Houston. He tells his grand-kids that his dad was able to sit on the 50 yard line while his black co-captain’s father had to sit in a roped off area of the end zone. His perception, intelligence and respect for all is what made Jack a great leader both on and off of the field. Thanks again.
In 1957 Kemp went from Detroit to Pitsburgh or from playing behind Bobby Layne and Tobin Rote to behind Earl Morrill and along side Len Dawson. In 1958 Kemp was cut by the Steelers who aquired Layne and hung onto Dawson, their 1 draft pick in 1957 for one last try. In 1959 the Redskins drafted Joe Kapp out of Berkeley and never tried once to contact him so Joe headed north to Alberta and Kemp giving it one last try in Calgary lost out again this time to Joe. In 1960 he was home in LA and tried again beating out Bob Clutterbuck and later in Buffalo Ed Rutkowski.
Kemp is in good company left with him out of Canton are Morrill, Rote and Kapp CFL HOF and Layne and Dawson enshrined, Kemp’s enshrinement would do more for the prestige of Canton than Kemp a man who trancended sport to play on the world stage fot the betterment of our land and all of mankind.
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