Story and photos by JOHN ANDERSON
With the great hunting and fishing camps and opportunities as well as unique events, it’s very common for celebrities and famous athletes to come into town.
And many times unnoticed.
That happened again on Saturday as former Buffalo Bills quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly went to the Beef Haus for lunch with his son-in-law and a friend.
If anyone in town recognized him, they didn’t let it show, but as it often happens, he was able to enjoy a meal without anyone noticing.
However, one of the waitress at the Beef Haus, Carrie McFall, knew he was with a regular customer and said, “Does anyone ever tell you that you look like Jim Kelly?”
Kelly smiled and said, “I get that a lot.” As Carrie went to clear some dishes, Kelly let her in on the truth. “I’m kidding, I am Jim Kelly.”
How big of a fan is Carrie? She happened to have a Jim Kelly jersey in her car. She told Kelly that’s how big of a fan she was and Kelly told her to go get the jersey so he could sign it.
He signed and posed for some photos before leaving.
Kelly has been a regular in Wellsville over the years and has brought teammates here to hunt in the past. He famously wore a Wellsville Middle School t-shirt at a press conference with Thurman Thomas during the Super Bowl years. That moment became viral again when the press conference was featured in the ESPN 30-for-30 show “The Four Falls of Buffalo.”
We’ve already been asked and we don’t know the answer if he going to buy the Beef Haus!
(Editor’s Note: See more photos below of Jim in Wellsville and the Middle School shirt. John Anderson, who covered the Buffalo Bills from Super Bowl’s to the return to playoffs, shot the photo below of Jim and his family with Tom Brady. He was asked by the Beef Haus to get the photos today)
