Saturday in Oxford: Jim Kelly and Chad Kelly Headline FCA Breakfast

Tad Smith Coliseum came back to life in a big way this morning as former Buffalo Bills Quarterback Jim Kelly and nephew Ole Miss Quarterback Chad Kelly shared their journeys through good times and bad during a lively Q&A format at the Third Annual Ole Miss FCA Breakfast.

Because of demand, the sold-out breakfast gathering had to be split between two groups of table sponsors – half at the Johnson Commons and half at the Tad Smith Coliseum prior to the actual speaking event. Emcee Ken Smith, a pastor known nationwide in FCA circles, asked Jim and Chad questions alternatively, which allowed them to share their distinctly different but also similar stories of coming to grips with their faith.

Chad repeatedly told the crowd he couldn’t believe he was sitting up on such a stage, alongside his uncle, speaking to such a large crowd. Just a couple of years ago he was in an entirely different place. He continued to give credit to Coach Hugh Freeze and staff for helping him arrive where he is now with a faith that guides him every day.

Jim Kelly took the crowd through several different times in his life when his faith was tested. He grew up in the Catholic church and was an altar boy, but after losing his son at a young age, he turned his life around for the better. He credited his wife several times for setting an example for their family with her unwavering faith and praised the support he has had from his wife and their two daughters, especially through his two serious bouts with cancer..

Chad Kelly talked about the positive influence Coach Freeze has had on the entire Ole Miss football team. He said there is a culture guided by faith that has brought the players together. He said their goal as a team is a National Championship, and the team’s close-knit family environment will be key to getting them there.

The program ended with some remarks about the Ole Miss team’s involvement in their mission trips to Haiti the past couple of years to bring fresh water to 10,000 Haitians. Members of the team will be going back this spring. At the conclusion there was an opportunity for attendees to support or get involved with Ole Miss FCA.