Jason Kelce
Jason Daniel Kelce (/ˈkɛlsi/ ⓘ KEL-see;[1] born November 5, 1987) is an American former football center who played his entire 13-year career for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft. Kelce won Super Bowl LII, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and six-time first-team All-Pro selection. Kelce is often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history.[2][3]
No. 62
November 5, 1987
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S.
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
295 lb (134 kg)
Cincinnati (2006–2010)
2011 / Round: 6 / Pick: 191
193
193
193
7
Outside of football, Kelce and his brother, Travis, co-host the podcast New Heights, on which they discuss their playing careers and various other topics.
Early life[edit]
Kelce was born and grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the son of Ed Kelce, a sales rep in the steel business, and Donna, who works in banking. He is the older brother of Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He attended Cleveland Heights High School, where he played both running back and linebacker and was twice named All-Lake Erie League.[4] At Cleveland Heights, he played baritone saxophone in the symphonic and jazz bands.[5] Kelce also played hockey and lacrosse in high school.[6] [7]
College career[edit]
A former walk-on running back, Kelce switched to fullback and then finally to offensive line after redshirting his initial year at the University of Cincinnati (UC),[8] seeing action at center and guard in nine games in 2007 as the Bearcats went 10–3 and defeated Southern Mississippi 31–21 in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.[9][10]
As a sophomore in 2008, he made 13 starts at left guard, as part of an offensive line that also included future NFL linemen Jeff Linkenbach and Trevor Canfield, which helped the UC offense average 27.3 points and 375.3 yards of total offense per game. The Bearcats went 11–3 overall, were Big East Conference champions, and played in the FedEx Orange Bowl, where the Bearcats fell to Virginia Tech 20–7.[11][12] In 2008, his brother, Travis, began playing alongside him at Cincinnati.[13]
In 2009, Kelce earned second-team All-Big East honors after starting 13 games at left guard as the Bearcats went undefeated in the regular season (12–0) and were again Big East Champions, once again earning a BCS Bowl berth, losing to Florida 51–24 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.[14][15]
He was moved to center for his senior season in 2010 as the Bearcats went 4–8 under new coach Butch Jones.[16][17] He started the final 38 games of his 47-game Bearcats career, 26 at left guard and 12 at center.[4] He was named Honorable Mention All-America and second-team All-Big East.
Other ventures[edit]
Along with then-teammate Beau Allen, Kelce appeared in the Super Bowl LII-themed two-part episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "Charlie's Home Alone" and "The Gang Wins the Big Game" as Charlie Kelly's blood-loss hallucination.[57] On March 4, 2023, Jason appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) when Travis was that episode's host, and appeared as both an audience member with his parents and in a sketch with his brother and SNL cast members Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman.[58][59]
In September 2022, Kelce and his brother, Travis, launched a weekly podcast called New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. In the podcast, they discuss the NFL as well as each other's games. The show also features occasional guest stars.[60][61]
During the 2022 NFL season, Philadelphia-based studio 9.14 Pictures filmed and produced a feature-length documentary examining Kelce's football career and private life. Titled Kelce, the documentary was released on Amazon Prime Video on September 11, 2023.[62] Within 24 hours of its release, Kelce became the No. 1 most watched movie on Prime Video in the United States.[63] On November 9, 2023, Kelce joined Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit in the commentary booth during the live broadcast of the Week 10 NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football, broadcast on Prime Video.[64]
Along with Eagles teammates Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, Kelce collaborated on the Christmas album A Philly Special Christmas, which was released in December 2022.[65] A sequel, A Philly Special Christmas Special, was released in December 2023.[66]
On April 6, 2024, Kelce and former Eagles teammate Lane Johnson (wearing Luchador masks) participated in WrestleMania XL, helping Rey Mysterio and Andrade win their match. The event was held in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field.[67]
Personal life[edit]
Kelce is the elder son of Ed and Donna Kelce and brother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.[68] Ed Kelce was a sales representative in the steel business. Donna Kelce has a master's degree, and has worked in banking at Mastercard, and then with banks building housing for the less fortunate using low-income tax credits.[7] Donna Kelce is known for attending both of her sons' games and is often seen wearing a two-sided jersey featuring both of their numbers. She traveled from Tampa to Kansas City to attend both of her sons' Wild Card round games on January 16, 2022.[69]
Kelce met his wife, Kylie McDevitt, on a dating app.[70] They were married on April 14, 2018. They have three daughters, born October 2019, March 2021, and February 2023. Kylie was 38 weeks pregnant with their third child at the time of Super Bowl LVII.[71][72][73][74] In 2023, Kelce was a finalist in People's "Sexiest Man Alive" list.[75]
During the 2021 offseason, Travis Kelce said their immediate family pronounces their last name /ˈkɛlsi/ KEL-see because that is the way their father pronounces it, although the rest of the paternal side of the family pronounces it /kɛls/ KELSS.[76] Jason elaborated that their father "at some point ... got tired of correcting everyone calling him 'Kell-see.' ... And now I think we're both at the point where we're riding with Ed 'Kell-see.'"[77]