Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce: Facts about the Kelce Brothers

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce: Facts about the Kelce Brothers

Siblings Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce are making their mark as NFL legends, with Travis breaking records as the Kansas City Chiefs’ exceptional tight end and Jason earning fan-favorite status as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Their collective success has presented unique challenges for their parents, including the dilemma of which team to support when the brothers face off against each other and the logistical puzzle of attending two playoff games in one day.

In 2022, Donna Kelce, the mother of Travis and Jason, found a solution by traveling 1,300 miles in a single day to witness both her sons play in their NFL Wild Card games.

The historic clash occurred on February 12, 2023, when the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs competed in the Super Bowl, marking the first time the brothers faced each other in this pinnacle event.

In a closely contested match, Travis and the Chiefs emerged victorious with a 38-35 win over Jason and the Eagles.

Post-game, the brothers exchanged a hug, and it appeared they shared some encouraging words.

Reflecting on the emotional experience, Travis expressed his sentiments to the press, fighting back tears.

“There’s nothing you can say to a loved one in a situation like that,” he remarked. “You joke around all the time and say you want to beat your brother on the biggest stage, but it’s a weird feeling.” He continued, “There’s nothing I can say to him other than I love him, and he played a hell of a year, a hell of a season.”

Their teams clashed again in November 2023 during regular season play, with the Eagles achieving a 21-17 victory over the Chiefs, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since 2009.

From their roots in Ohio to their ongoing decade-long NFL journey together, explore the comprehensive story of Jason and Travis Kelce.

Here are 15 facts about the Kelce brothers that you never knew!

Jason and Travis Kelce are nearly two years apart

There is a 23-month age difference between Jason and Travis Kelce, with Jason born on Nov. 5, 1987, and Travis on Oct. 5, 1989.

Both grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where their father, Ed, worked in steel, and their mother, Donna, worked in banking, according to Sports Illustrated.

Donna, in an interview with FOX 4 Kansas City, revealed that raising two boys close in age posed challenges, with a lot of incidents involving broken windows, crashes, and fights. Travis, being the instigator, sought his brother’s attention.

Jason shared similar experiences of growing up with Travis, emphasizing Travis’s typical younger brother behavior in finding ways to gain the upper hand.

The close age gap fostered a natural competition between the two, leading to numerous fights.

Donna, speaking to FOX 4 Kansas City in 2020, mentioned the fights and punches thrown, attributing it to one being better than the other and the other struggling to cope.

Despite the challenges, Travis sees competitiveness as a significant factor in their journey to the NFL.

In an interview with NFL Films in 2018, Jason acknowledged the competitiveness, stating that it played a crucial role in their paths to the NFL.

Jason and Travis Kelce were both kicked out of preschool

In an episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, the brothers shared that both of them were expelled from preschool.

Jason recounted an incident during which he and another student were “playing at a cafeteria table.”

In an unusual turn of events, they were using sporks to stab each other, and Jason ended up hitting the other student hard enough on the forehead to leave four distinct spork dots.

The next day, the student’s dad carried him with noticeable spork marks.

On the other hand, Travis revealed that his dismissal from preschool stemmed from his reluctance to share a checkers set.

Despite winning, the teacher advised him to share, to which Travis responded by asserting, “That’s not how it rolls.”

In a rebellious act, he threw the chair he was sitting in at the teacher, resulting in his exit from preschool.

They played football together at the University of Cincinnati

In high school, the Kelce brothers were versatile athletes, engaging in multiple sports.

They both participated in football and baseball, with Jason adding hockey during winters, while Travis took on basketball.

However, their paths diverged in college. Jason enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, initially walking on to their football team as a linebacker before transitioning to an offensive lineman, as reported by Sports Illustrated.

Two years later, despite having numerous football scholarship offers, Travis chose to follow in his brother’s footsteps and play at Cincinnati.

In an interview with NFL Films, Travis expressed the natural inclination to follow his older brother, who had already navigated the system, making it a logical choice.

Travis faced a setback in his college football career after failing a drug test in 2009, leading to the revocation of his scholarship and removal from the football team.

Jason intervened by having Travis move in with him and some teammates, ensuring close supervision.

Additionally, Jason advocated on Travis’ behalf with the head coach, successfully reinstating him on the team.

Reflecting on the incident, Travis acknowledged his brother’s unwavering support, stating, “I’ve never really asked how he got me back on the team.

That was my brother just being a big brother, looking out for me every step of the way and fighting for the success story,” as told to Sports Illustrated.

Jason has played for the Philadelphia Eagles since being drafted in 2011

Upon completing his college education at the University of Cincinnati, Jason was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Classified as an “undersized, late-round draft pick” by Philadelphia Eagles writer Dave Spadaro, he faced statistical odds of about a 6 percent chance of lasting two seasons in the NFL.

As of January 2023, Jason has maintained his position as the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles for 12 seasons.

Throughout his tenure with the Eagles, Jason has achieved considerable success.

The center earned Pro Bowl honors five times, received first-team All-Pro recognition by the Associated Press on four occasions, and secured a Super Bowl victory in 2018.

Following the historic Super Bowl win, Jason delivered an impassioned speech during the team’s victory parade, which gained widespread attention.

Reflecting on his impressive career, Jason signed a notable one-year, $14 million contract with the Eagles in March 2022, as reported by ESPN.

This agreement positioned him as the highest-paid center in the NFL. Jason expressed gratitude for spending his entire career with the Eagles, stating to Dave Spadaro, “The bottom line is that to be in one place for the entirety of my career truly has been a blessing.”

Jason gifted Travis a car and it got stolen at a strip club in Cleveland

Shortly after Jason entered the NFL, he generously gifted his brother a brand-new Ford F-150.

Travis humorously recounted the incident on their podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce: “So, I take the car.

Within the first 10 hours of me having the vehicle, I go up to Cleveland — you know, visit the ‘boom boom room.’ Went to the strip club.”

Jason interjected, asking, “What happened when you left the strip club, Travis?”

Amid laughter, Travis admitted, “That car was gone! Left the keys in the car.

He didn’t tell me there was a spare key in the glove compartment.

I had the key.

I just didn’t lock the car. Strippers got me!”

Travis was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013

Much like his elder sibling, Travis has dedicated his entire NFL career to a single team.

The tight end was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, with the coach who drafted him, Andy Reid, having been Jason’s former coach at the Philadelphia Eagles.

Travis has distinguished himself in the NFL not only for his on-field prowess but also for his charismatic personality.

Over his 10 seasons with the Chiefs, he has earned Pro Bowl honors eight times, participated in the Super Bowl twice (securing one victory), and holds the NFL record for the most consecutive seasons (7) with 1,000 receiving yards by a tight end.

In addition to his football skills, he is renowned for his celebratory—often meme-worthy—dances in the end zone.

Considered by many sports analysts as one of the premier tight ends in the history of the game, Travis has garnered recognition as a potential Hall-of-Famer.

Sports Illustrated placed him in the top 10 NFL players of 2022, ESPN hailed him as “one of the best NFL players ever,” and Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes regards him as “the greatest tight end of all time.” Travis himself shares this confidence, stating in a 2017 interview with GQ, “I’m not going to lie to myself. I’m going to look at the film.

I’m going to look at the stats. I’m going to look at where my team is compared to everyone else, and I’m going to say, am I the best? I think I’m the best tight end in the game.”

 

Travis wears No. 87 in honor of his brother Jason

Throughout his entire tenure with the Chiefs, Travis has donned the number 87, and this choice carries a meaningful tribute to his older brother Jason.

In a post-game exchange with Jason, Travis disclosed that he had chosen the number as an homage to Jason’s birth year, 1987.

“You’re the only reason why I wear 87 anyways,” Travis expressed to Jason on the sidelines. “I never told you that, man. You started the legacy.”

Travis further expounded on his decision to wear number 87 in an interview with NFL Films.

Reflecting on the Kelce legacy and the unique achievement of two brothers making it to the NFL, Travis stated, “If there is a Kelce legacy, two brothers making it to the NFL, it all started in 1987 because this big guy was born in 1987,” as he sat alongside Jason.

They host a podcast together called New Heights With Jason & Travis Kelce

The Kelce brothers launched their collaborative podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, in September 2022.

Despite the demands of their busy football schedules, the duo consistently records weekly episodes, ranging from 60 to 90 minutes.

These episodes cover discussions on their games, trending NFL news, and sports headlines.

In an interview with Forbes, Travis expressed his enjoyment of the podcast, stating, “It’s been good to just have that set amount of time to be able to just sit down and chat.

It’s like we’re just kicking it at dinner back when we were in high school and college together.”

The podcast has attracted prominent figures in football, with guests including former New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“I’m having a blast,” Travis shared with Forbes. “It’s fun to just do something with my brother weekly.”

Jason is married with three daughters

Jason Kelce tied the knot with Kylie McDevitt on April 14, 2018, in Philadelphia, after initially meeting on Tinder.

Since their wedding, the couple has expanded their family, welcoming three daughters.

Wyatt Elizabeth was born in 2019, followed by Elliotte Ray in 2021, and Bennet Llwellyn in 2023.

While Jason’s brother Travis is not a father yet, Kylie spoke highly of him as the “absolute best uncle you can imagine” in an interview with PEOPLE in February 2023.

She shared a humorous tidbit from Jason, mentioning that he believes the girls might prefer their uncle over him.

 

Travis had his own reality dating show, Catching Kelce

In 2016, Travis ventured into the realm of reality television with his own show on E! called Catching Kelce, where he aimed to find love through an elimination-style format.

The show involved Travis meeting one woman from each of the 50 states and engaging in a series of dates to identify his perfect match.

However, Travis revealed in 2023 that his decision to participate in the show was primarily financially motivated rather than driven by romantic intentions.

“I heard about this situation where I could make six figures in two weeks, and I was like, ‘Ah,’ and 50 ladies, I’m like, ‘This is actually starting to sound a little better,'” Travis shared on The Pivot Podcast in January 2023.

Reflecting on the experience, he described it as a valuable learning opportunity.

Although Travis didn’t find a lifelong partner on Catching Kelce, he had an on-again, off-again relationship with model and influencer Kayla Nicole for five years.

They began dating in 2017, parted ways in August 2020, reconciled in December of that year, and ultimately ended their relationship for good in 2022.

“I’m in the free market right now. I’m out there just enjoying life, focused on my profession,” Travis remarked about his relationship status on The Pivot Podcast in January 2023.

Travis is dating Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ tight end, has been open about his admiration for Taylor Swift since the summer of 2023.

During an episode of New Heights, Travis shared an amusing anecdote about attempting to give the pop star a friendship bracelet with his phone number at one of her concerts.

Expressing his disappointment, he mentioned Swift’s practice of not meeting people before or after her shows, attributing it to the need to preserve her voice for her extensive performances.

Despite this initial setback, Travis and Swift eventually connected, leading to Swift being invited to attend a Chiefs game.

The “Love Story” singer accepted the invitation and made a memorable appearance at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, enthusiastically cheering for Travis, especially when he scored a touchdown.

This marked the beginning of Swift becoming a regular attendee at Chiefs games, often bringing friends along.

In October 2023, Travis and Swift made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live and were photographed holding hands as they arrived at the cast afterparty.

A source told PEOPLE, “Taylor and Travis were there all night and they were so smiley, they were so happy. They were super comfortable with each other.

They were very cuddly; they weren’t awkward,” describing a PDA-filled evening for the couple.

The brothers each have their foundations to help give back

Both Jason and Travis Kelce recognize the significance of making a positive impact both on and off the field.

Each brother has established his own foundation to contribute to the communities that have supported them throughout their careers as professional athletes.

In 2015, Travis founded Eighty-Seven & Running, aiming to assist underserved youth in developing critical life skills.

The foundation engages in projects such as transforming an abandoned Kansas City muffler shop into an educational STEM lab for teenagers.

Travis expressed the essence of his philanthropic efforts, stating to PEOPLE, “It’s what it’s all about, in my mind.

Throughout my career, do I care about football? A whole lot.

I care about my career and the legacy that I leave, but I do know that I have the opportunity to relate to a lot of people in this community.

And with that, I think it’s a bit of a responsibility to do the right things.”

In October 2022, Jason established his own foundation, (Be)Philly, dedicated to enhancing the lives of Philadelphia’s youth.

On the nonprofit’s website, Jason conveyed his gratitude and commitment, saying, “Whether my family, my friends, or my fellow Philadelphians, I have always felt an overwhelming love and support that has helped reach my dreams and potential on and off the field.

Now it’s my turn… We owe it to ourselves to give the next generation the resources and opportunities they deserve.”