National Football League

Bills legend, cancer survivor Jim Kelly battling staph infection

Published Nov. 1, 2014 5:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback and cancer survivor Jim Kelly is now battling a staph infection, the NFL legend told the Miami Herald.

Shortly after being declared free of jaw and nasal cavity cancer in September, the 54-year-old NFL Hall of Famer informed the paper that pain had returned. Doctors found he had developed a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in his bones.

"I was cleared in September of the cancer -- I have another MRI in two weeks," Kelly told the Herald. "The toughest part for me was I was almost ready to take out my feeding tube, I was feeling good and they said they need to do some biopsies. Those 12 biopsies put me back so far."

Kelly said he had to undergo further surgery "to shave some of the bone down so the biopsies can heal over."

Despite a rigorous intravenous antibiotics treatment to combat the infection, Kelly said he's still made it a point to attend alma mater University of Miami's homecoming game against North Carolina on Saturday to serve as honorary captain.

"I wouldn't miss going to the 'U' for anything," Kelly said.

The Hurricanes beat the Tar Heels, 47-20.

H/t ESPN.