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How NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly "came to life" during cancer recovery

Buffalo Bills' former quarterback Jim Kelly reflects on beating oral cancer and winning against the odds
Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly on surviving cancer 02:19

The Buffalo Bills' Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is winning a much more important battle than on the field -- he is beating oral cancer twice.

As NFL Network and CBS Sports correspondent Andrea Kremer reports, the entire city of Buffalo became a road to recovery for the Kelly family.

"I'm not as tough as I thought I was," Kelly said, laughing. "People don't understand, when they talk about 'Kelly tough,' yeah, the physical toughness, I was brought up, I was born with that. But for me, the mental toughness was one that I needed."

"You're bombarded in your mind about death," wife Jill Kelly said. "And to overcome that with life is a process. And I've watched him walk through that. I've seen him at his darkest during this."

That darkest moment is really hard to share, Jill said.

Jim Kelly's battle: Hall of Famer's family speaks of cancer struggle 04:34

"It was definitely in New York City when he was ready ... He's like, 'I can't do this' and 'I think this is it. But you're strong, Jill, and you can.' And he just kept talking, and... I remember my hands coming up and being like, 'No. You don't know that. This cannot happen,'" Jill said. "This man who has always fought, who has always said, 'Never give up.' He cannot give up. If we can do this at home, we have to come home. We have to come home."

There is no doubt in Jill's mind that coming back to Buffalo was the turning point for her husband.

"We went, literally, from one hospital to a hospital here. One hospital in New York to a hospital in Buffalo. And he came to life," Jill said.

"At times, there were people here that needed my support, but I needed their support, too. And there's not a family around here any bigger than the Buffalo Bill family," Jim said. "Everywhere I turned, there's people praying for me, there's people that give me well wishes. And to be honest with you, I don't know if I'd been able to make it anywhere else."

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