SWC75
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JACK KEMP (July 13, 1935 – May 2, 2009) 6-1 201 quarterback
Jack quarterbacked the Chargers to the first two AFL championships games and then quarterbacked the Buffalo Bills to two championship game victories over the Chargers. He was a seven time all-star and league MVP in 1965. He’s been considered too small, (5-10 175 at the time), to be recruited by USC or UCLA and played his college ball at tiny Occidental College. He was a “Little All-American” as they called them then. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions but cut by them. But he did make the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957 along with future AFL rival Len Dawson. He was then on the “taxi” squad of the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants in 1958. He tried the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL but they cut him after one game. His family urged him to “get on with his life” but he gave it one more shot, signing with the then (and now) Los Angeles Chargers for the 1960 season. “In 1962, Kemp broke his middle finger two games into the season and was unable to play. He persuaded his doctors to set his broken finger around a football, so that his grip would not be affected once the finger healed.” The Chargers put him on waivers and he was picked up by the Bills. He wound up playing in half the AFL championship games.
He was a co-founder of the AFL player’s union and, after he retired from the game, continued to advocate for retired pro football players. He went into politics and became a Congressmen, a cabinet secretary and a Vice Presidential candidate.
Jack Kemp – Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame
Jack quarterbacked the Chargers to the first two AFL championships games and then quarterbacked the Buffalo Bills to two championship game victories over the Chargers. He was a seven time all-star and league MVP in 1965. He’s been considered too small, (5-10 175 at the time), to be recruited by USC or UCLA and played his college ball at tiny Occidental College. He was a “Little All-American” as they called them then. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions but cut by them. But he did make the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957 along with future AFL rival Len Dawson. He was then on the “taxi” squad of the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants in 1958. He tried the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL but they cut him after one game. His family urged him to “get on with his life” but he gave it one more shot, signing with the then (and now) Los Angeles Chargers for the 1960 season. “In 1962, Kemp broke his middle finger two games into the season and was unable to play. He persuaded his doctors to set his broken finger around a football, so that his grip would not be affected once the finger healed.” The Chargers put him on waivers and he was picked up by the Bills. He wound up playing in half the AFL championship games.
He was a co-founder of the AFL player’s union and, after he retired from the game, continued to advocate for retired pro football players. He went into politics and became a Congressmen, a cabinet secretary and a Vice Presidential candidate.
Jack Kemp – Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame
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