During Miami’s 1980s football heyday, the program earned the nickname “Quarterback U.”

Jim Kelly was a big reason why.
The signal caller from Pennsylvania received a scholarship offer from his home state’s flagship program, Penn State, but opted to come to Miami where the Hurricanes wanted him to line up under center, not at linebacker.
It turned out to be an incredible move for both Kelly and the Hurricanes.
Legendary Hurricanes coach Howard Schnellenberger gave Kelly the opportunity to start as a freshman and that season, Kelly returned to Pennsylvania where he led Miami to an 26-10 upset of the Nittany Lions.
Kelly went on to throw for 5,228 yards and 33 touchdowns during his Hurricanes career. In 1980, he led Miami to a 9-3 record and its first bowl appearance since 1967, a 20-10 win over Virginia Tech in the Peach Bowl.
The quarterback was widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate entering his senior year, but three games into the season, he was sidelined by a shoulder injury that kept him out of the game for months. He recovered in time to work out for NFL scouts in the spring and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. Kelly, however, signed with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL.
He threw for 9,842 yards and 83 touchdowns in Houston and earned MVP honors in 1984 before the USFL folded and he joined the Bills.
In his 11 seasons with Buffalo, Kelly rewrote the Bills record book. He passed for 35,467 yards, 237 touchdowns, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and led the Bills to the playoffs eight times, including four straight Super Bowls.
Kelly was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, the UM Ring of Honor in 2008 and the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
– Christy Cabrera Chirinos