{"id":66928,"date":"2025-08-10T10:26:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T14:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=66928"},"modified":"2025-08-10T10:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T14:26:23","slug":"batavians-eiu-teammate-ex-usfl-mouseketeer-recalls-time-catching-passes-from-qb-jim-kelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/08\/10\/batavians-eiu-teammate-ex-usfl-mouseketeer-recalls-time-catching-passes-from-qb-jim-kelly\/","title":{"rendered":"Batavian\u2019s EIU teammate, ex-USFL \u2018Mouseketeer\u2019 recalls time catching passes from QB Jim Kelly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dan DiMartino, left, and Scott McGhee, football teammates at Eastern Illinois University in the late 1970s, shared some memories at DiMartino\u2019s home in Batavia on Saturday. Photo by Mike Pettinella\/For Video News Service.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY MIKE PETTINELLA
For Video News Service<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before forming a Hall of Fame connection with wide receiver Andre Reed during the Buffalo Bills\u2019 Super Bowl era, Jim Kelly was slinging passes for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of his top wideouts during the 1984 and 1985 seasons was a 5-foot-9, 180-pound Chicago area native by the name of Scott McGhee, who was signed out of the Canadian Football League after an All-American career at Eastern Illinois University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While at EIU, McGhee\u2019s roomed with the squad\u2019s kicker, Batavian Dan DiMartino, a Notre Dame High School graduate who kicked a field goal and extra point in the Panthers\u2019 10-9 win over Delaware in the 1978 NCAA Division II national championship game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former teammates \u2013 and lifelong friends \u2013 got together this weekend at DiMartino\u2019s home before McGhee took part in the annual Kelly for Kids Foundation festivities, which will be capped off by the Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday at Terry Hills Golf Course in Batavia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry Hills has hosted the fundraiser for disadvantaged and disabled youth in Western New York since 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who remember the USFL, Kelly was the \u201cgunslinging\u201d rookie QB out of the University of Miami who feasted on opposing defenses by throwing to a talented receiving corps known as \u201cThe Mouseketeers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were given that name in honor of the team\u2019s offensive coordinator, Darrel \u201cMouse\u201d Davis, who is widely regarded as the godfather of the run-and-shoot offense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe name just came up, somebody wrote it, obviously, because we were little guys,\u201d McGhee said. \u201cWe were all small. Ricky Sanders was a little bit taller than us \u2013 maybe 5-foot-10. One of the newspapers came out with this Mouseketeers thing and it just stuck because of Mouse Davis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee was the third-leading receiver for the Gamblers in 1984, catching 40 passes for 637 yards and five touchdowns. In 1985, he snagged 47 passes for 671 yards and three touchdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two members of that unit, Richard Johnson and Sanders, caught 115 and 101 passes, respectively, in 1984, helping the Gamblers to become the first pro football team ever to have two receivers with more than 100 receptions in a single season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Johnson (Detroit Lions) and Sanders (Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons) went on to have exceptional careers in the NFL, as did Clarence Verdin (Indianapolis Colts) and Gerald McNeil (Cleveland Browns).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For McGhee, his road to Houston followed four years at EIU, a few months with the Chicago Bears and two years with the CFL\u2019s Toronto Argonauts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was looking to get back to the NFL and that\u2019s when the USFL started \u2013 and that\u2019s where I met Jim (Kelly),\u201d he said. \u201cThey put together a great football team \u2013 Ricky Sanders, Richard Johnson, Gerald O\u2019Neil and myself. We had a fantastic ballclub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a great time with the run-and-shoot offense with Mouse Davis and Jack Pardee as our coach, from the Bears. I was kind of sorry to see the end of it but everybody went back and played in the NFL \u2026 and Jim (Kelly), of course, came to Buffalo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Kelly behind center, the Gamblers scored 618 points in 1984, shattering the USFL record set the previous season by 162 points. In Kelly\u2019s two USFL seasons, he passed for 9,842 yards and 83 touchdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately for McGhee, a knee injury prevented him from resuming a career in the NFL with the Bears, who held his rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee has gone on to find success in the entertainment industry, working alongside such notable acts as Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Bon Jovi early in their respective careers before signing Skid Row to his first management deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Nashville, Tenn., resident, he also has managed Blues Traveler, Liz Phair, Tracy Bonham, Darius Rucker, Clay Walker and Chris Cagle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he considered it \u201ca privilege and honor\u201d to be invited to participate in the Kelly for Kids Foundation event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee also said he was fortunate to have such a great teammate in DiMartino, whom he called \u201cspecial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been around a lot of athletes my entire life, but he had a whole special program; truly a kicker\u2019s program,\u201d he recalled. \u201cFrom preparation to \u2013 all he wanted to do was kick. A great friend to the family and team and probably one of the most reliable kickers I ever played with.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dan DiMartino, left, and Scott McGhee, football teammates at Eastern Illinois University in the late 1970s, shared some memories at DiMartino\u2019s home in Batavia on Saturday. Photo by Mike Pettinella\/For Video News Service. BY MIKE PETTINELLAFor Video News Service Before forming a Hall of Fame connection with wide receiver Andre \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,23],"tags":[4694,5303],"class_list":["post-66928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-batavia","category-genesee-county","tag-dan-dimartino","tag-scott-mcghee"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-hpu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58391,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/26\/genesee-county-batavian-dimartino-former-batavian-vogl-inducted-into-eastern-illinois-u-hall-of-fame\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":0},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Batavian DiMartino, former Batavian Vogl inducted into Eastern Illinois U. Hall of Fame","author":"aka","date":"October 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Mike PettinellaFor Video News Service Lifelong Batavian Dan DiMartino was able to rekindle that championship feeling late last month when he was inducted into the Eastern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame at the college\u2019s Charleston campus. DiMartino, a 1976 graduate of Notre Dame High, was the placekicker on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dan-dimartino.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dan-dimartino.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dan-dimartino.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dan-dimartino.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dan-dimartino.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67674,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/08\/30\/batavians-cruise-to-vette-rally-in-macedon\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":1},"title":"Batavians cruise to \u2018Vette rally in Macedon","author":"aka","date":"August 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking part in the Corvette Cruise-In are, kneeling from left, Nicole Gaiser, Colleen Hill, Debbie Murray and Paxton Murray; standing, Les Hill, Jim Pierce, Sonny Pursel, Brenda Pierce, T.J. Cory, John Brewster, Tony Cory, John Peca, Troy Glover and Dan DiMartino. Photos by Mike Pettinella BY MIKE PETTINELLAFor Video News\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corvette-group-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corvette-group-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corvette-group-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corvette-group-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corvette-group-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59091,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/11\/18\/batavia-donaghue-edges-pettinella-for-60-and-over-tour-crown\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":2},"title":"BATAVIA\/Donaghue edges Pettinella for 60-and-Over Tour crown","author":"aka","date":"November 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release In an exciting title match between former league bowling teammates, Batavia native Pat Donaghue edged lifelong Batavian Mike Pettinella for the 60-and-Over Tour presented by Batavia Downs Gaming title Sunday at Mancuso Bowling Center. Donaghue, who rolled a 299 game during the qualifying round, struck in the 9th\u00a0frame\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cu.jpg?fit=490%2C408&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9485,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2019\/06\/04\/batavia-jim-kelly-celebrity-classic-2019-at-terry-hills\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":3},"title":"Batavia\/Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic 2019 at Terry Hills","author":"aka","date":"June 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/YH4h5u-BuUc This year's guest list Josh Allen Morten Anderson Daniel Baldwin Cornelius Bennett Chris Berman Marty Biron Jim Burt Scott Chandler Kevin Chapman Joe Cribbs Steve Deossie Patrick DiMarco Ken Dorsey Booker Edgerson Danny Gare Roger Goodell Victor Green Tom Hallick Phil Hansen Stephen Hauschka Merril Hoge Willie Hutch -Jones\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kelly-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kelly-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kelly-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kelly-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kelly-still.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32120,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2022\/04\/27\/genesee-county-sheriffs-report-april-27-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":4},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT\/April 27, 2022","author":"aka","date":"April 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Maria L. Dimartino, 56, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny following an investigation at BJ's at 8330 Lewiston road on April 26, 2022 at 3:00p.m. On April 21, 2022, Dimartino allegedly cut off a bar code from a 32-inch television and used it to pay for a 50-inch television.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Genesee-County-Sheriffs-badge.jpg?fit=200%2C224&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":70261,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/23\/pin-points-sigouin-tops-hyde-for-triple-o-title-award-to-honor-joe-mortellaro\/","url_meta":{"origin":66928,"position":5},"title":"Pin Points\/Sigouin tops Hyde for Triple O title; Award to honor Joe Mortellaro","author":"aka","date":"November 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Tom Sardou, left, proprietor of Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, congratulates Brandyn Sigouin and Samantha Hyde for their first- and second-place finishes at last Sunday\u2019s 18th\u00a0annual Triple O Mechanical Handicap Singles Tournament. Photo by Mike Pettinella\/For Video News Service. The 18th\u00a0annual Triple O Mechanical Handicap Singles Tournament last Sunday at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pin Points"","block_context":{"text":"Pin Points","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/pin-points\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pin-points-new-10.25.jpg?fit=888%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pin-points-new-10.25.jpg?fit=888%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pin-points-new-10.25.jpg?fit=888%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pin-points-new-10.25.jpg?fit=888%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dan-and-scott-2.jpg?fit=697%2C542&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66928"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66932,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66928\/revisions\/66932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}