Buffalo Bills Attend Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic As Part of OTAs

The Buffalo Bills attended Jim Kelly’s celebrity golf tournament as part of their organized team activities (OTAs) on June 1.

The Buffalo Bills attended Jim Kelly’s celebrity golf tournament as part of organized team activities (OTAs) on June 1. 

According to The Buffalo News’ Vic Carruci, Bills head coach Rex Ryan gave his players the day off from OTA practice on Monday so they could have a unique bonding experience at Kelly’s tournament. 

This is similar to their bowling excursion on /4/21, the last day of the Bills’ voluntary offseason workouts, per Carucci. 

Ryan also wanted to support Kelly and his “Kelly for Kids Foundation.” 

Rex cancelled #BillsOTAs today to bring the entire team to the #JimKellyClassic.

PHOTOS: http://t.co/OtXIVs6YC0 pic.twitter.com/kfvLrqdyDI— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) June 1, 2015

ESPN Buffalo Bills reporter Mike Rodak confirmed the team attending the tournament “counts as an organized team activity” in his June 1 report. This was the Bills’ fourth OTA out of a total of 10 this offseason. 

The Bills mentor discussed his intentions for gracing Kelly’s event on Monday, per The Buffalo News:

“To me, it’s not just lip service. I want to do some things that bring the team together, and this is kind of an opportunity to get guys out and taking a break away from the X’s and O’s a little bit and bringing them around each other. 

“It might be different from other teams, but we wanted to support Jim and we also wanted to do it to build our team a little bit. 

“We’re proud of the tradition and proud of the fact that there are 80 former players that live in that area. And when you think of Buffalo, people hear about the weather and all that kind of stuff. You recognize it, but it’s also a great place to live. 

“That’s why I call Buffalo home.” #JimKellyClassic

WATCH MORE: http://t.co/JqCSiBaPjF
https://t.co/r1I5lgiwHy— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) June 2, 2015

“And our alum are very important to us. You get Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas and all those guys around here, it’s just a great opportunity to support a great cause. 

“And the little part that we can do about it and bring our team out here, if it adds to it, then that’s great.” 

For his part, Kelly told Carucci he was a bit surprised at the gesture, which he also dubbed as “amazing”:

“When Rex told me that’s they wanted to do, I’m like, ‘Really?’ 

“This is part of the OTAs. You see guys ‘throwing footballs’ at a target, ‘swinging’ their clubs ‘and loosening up’ and doing ‘stretching exercises, you get a little walking on the course. So it’s all good.”

Kelly was at this year’s tournament after missing last year’s edition as underwent cancer treatment, per Rodak. This is the 29th of the Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic, which has attracted former Bills and NFL players such as Dan Marino.

Rex Ryan takes entire Bills team to Jim Kelly’s charity golf tournament @salmaiorana
http://t.co/3nQMGwTPgX pic.twitter.com/Faqy9a3I74— Rochester D and C (@DandC) June 1, 2015

Kelly said he was happy to see friends and many familiar faces during the tournament’s gala on Sunday, per ESPN:

“Thank the Good Lord for allowing me to be here today. I look around and just all the people…You can’t spend an hour with each individual, but it’s so good to see my friends and see people I haven’t seen in over a year, because I was not here last year at this time.

“It feels good. I feel good. And it’s good because after last year, the mone we were able to give out to all the charities, that makes you feel good because even though I couldn’t be here, it continued, it moved on and we are still making a difference.”

The tournament’s official website states it is held the following Sunday and Monday after Memorial Day every year. More than 50 celebrities usually participate with over 1,000 people attending the gala.  

The theme of the Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic for 2015 is “Caddyshack” after the 1980 smash comedy movie starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray, per KellyForKids.com. 

The tournament raises money for the “Kelly for Kids Foundation,” which takes care of disabled and disadvantaged children who reside in Western New York, per Rodak.

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