"He's less than a year shy of 50, nearly 13 years removed from the game, which leads you to wonder how much passion Jim Kelly brings to his football camp these days. Is this his operation in name only, or does he remain an active participant? Does he show up at noon and go through the motions, or is he there from the get-go, highly visible and raring to teach some football?

The answer arrives at 9:15 a.m., as soon as you enter the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse and hear that distinctive voice — authoritative and exuberant with a pinch of gravel — resonating throughout the place.

No. 12 is walking amid row upon row of campers, talking them through stretching exercises, pointing out whatever errors in form he discerns.

"If you don't correct them," Kelly later says, "they're not going to improve. Between Monday and Thursday I want to see a difference. I want to see that they're learning something because they're doing it the right way."

While a face subtly weathered by age confirms his playing days have past, broad shoulders and a barrel chest suggest he still belongs behind center. What you can't see, he confides, is that his back is a mess, which might limit the extent of his participation this week.

But when he heads over to The Ralph, as he eyes campers ages 8-11 engaged in games of touch, you know darn well the back won't have the final say. Would Ted Williams have walked by a bat rack without picking one up? Would Pele pass a soccer ball without juggling it briefly? It's a Kelly Camp ritual that he takes to each field and runs a series during each Bantam division game. And although he expresses doubt he can meet that personal obligation, you know, you just know, that within two minutes his spirit will have conquered his misgivings."