Travis Kelce Hints at Potential Retirement After Chiefs Beat Cleveland

As a sports enthusiast and fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, I must say that Travis Kelce‘s life is nothing short of inspiring. From his impressive football career to his entrepreneurial endeavors, it’s evident that he’s a man who knows how to seize opportunities and make the most out of them.

Could Travis Kelce be saying so long to the NFL?

Following a span of 12 seasons playing tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, the man originally from Ohio suggested that retirement could be imminent, as he contemplated his team’s victory against the Cleveland Browns on December 15.

On his New Heights podcast episode from December 18th, Travis admitted that returning home felt incredibly unreal. He wasn’t sure if it might be the final time he’d play in Cleveland, and it seemed as though he was putting on one last spectacular show before calling it a career, since he had only played there on two occasions over the past 12 years.

Given his limited appearances at that location, he doubts it will happen again very often.

He added, “It was just a special day for me personally.”

Travis couldn’t hide his excitement as he told his brother and cohost Jason Kelce, who recently retired from the NFL, “I’m absolutely smitten with this city. Arriving here was like being a tour guide myself, sharing details about each city and landmark we passed by.

The Super Bowl winner, who’s been in a relationship with Taylor Swift for over a year now, was especially touched to have numerous significant figures from his past able to witness his game.

He stated, “Many individuals who significantly influenced my values and character are those I’ve known. A considerable number of them were present at the event.

This year, Travis openly discussed the possibility of retiring, but he hasn’t quite made up his mind to retire officially at this point in time.

He mentioned on the Rich Eisen Show in September that he continues to look forward to going to work, not because it’s a chore, but rather because he’s having such a blast. He feels incredibly grateful and fortunate to be in his 12th year and still have the enthusiasm, love, and capacity to step out there and get to work.

It was particularly thrilling for him to be a member of the Chiefs in the 2024 season, as they aim for their third consecutive Super Bowl victory.

He further mentioned, “The thrill of taking on this year’s challenge, potentially making it three times in a row, was what motivated me to return.

Still, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given some thought to his post-NFL career—which includes taking a page out of brother Jason’s own retirement playbook.

On the show “New Heights” in June, Travis shared that he planned to announce when he’d finished playing. To amuse his brother, he switched to a transatlantic accent and said, “I want to stand here and share with you all about the game, the old coach, ladies and gentlemen.

Travis continued, “I want to be the talking head that calls the games.”

As we await the unfolding of his future events, let’s delve deeper into everything related to Travis.

Although I’ve come to deeply associate myself with Kansas City, Missouri, my roots run deep in the soil of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where I spent my formative years.

Instead of announcing his alma mater, University of Cincinnati, the man proudly proclaims his hometown during live game broadcasts that feature player introductions.

Which, as you might guess, has irked some fellow alums. 

In 2019, Travis expressed, “I value deeply the time I spent at the University of Cincinnati, but there was a period when life wasn’t simple for me there. It was challenging. I lost my scholarship and made some foolish decisions. I suspect many people in this room know someone from Heights who’s also made questionable choices. To my friends, I was that person.

Not only was the Height a unique place for him, he elaborated, but it held significance for everyone residing there. The diversity of this location stirred something within him. Everything I accomplish is dedicated to this city, he declared. It may sound trite, but let me assure you, every action you witness from me – whether it’s my dance in the end zone – that’s a tribute to Cleveland Heights, for you, right there.

2. About that revoked scholarship…

Following their unbeaten 2009 season, which culminated in a Big East championship, Travis was found to have used marijuana during the build-up to the 2010 Sugar Bowl. This was due to overindulging during New Year’s Eve celebrations in New Orleans.

Beyond just missing the bowl game, he was suspended by the NCAA for the entire 2010 season and lost his academic scholarship. Consequently, he had to move in with his brother Jason (specifically into his brother’s room within their shared house with teammates) and took on a job as a telemarketer, where his responsibilities included asking people who answered if they had any thoughts about the Affordable Care Act.

They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.

3. Prior to focusing on football, Travis had experience with hockey, baseball, and basketball. During high school, he served as a quarterback. Interestingly, he was a two-star QB prospect for Cincinnati, but later switched to tight end as part of the terms for his reinstatement to the team following his suspension.

In 2013, when I was drafted by the Chiefs, our team had an exceptional quarterback named Zach Collaros. We were seeking improvement in both our running and passing games, so I approached Coach Butch Jones, who was my coach then. He suggested we needed a tight end, and since my abilities, athleticism, and focus aligned well with that position, it turned out to be the perfect fit for me.

In 2017, when he reflected on his not-so-proud moment to GQ, he essentially said, “People have been telling me all along that I’m more like a tight end rather than a star.

4. The house located at 127 W. Nixon St., which was shared by Travis, Jason, and some other Bearcats, was frequently the site of boisterous activities involving beer.

Tom DeTemple, a college friend and teammate, recalled to the New York Times prior to the 2024 Super Bowl that the brothers were fond of spending long hours on their Nintendo 64 console. He added that they would often devise impromptu drinking games during play, and excelled significantly at these activities.

5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.

He shared with reporters before the 2023 Super Bowl, “Everything centers on Cincinnati for me.” This is a city he’s deeply proud of, having attended the University of Cincinnati. He recently received his diploma. Whenever possible, he offers assistance and visits the university. He cherishes being around former teammates and the people he met during his time there who have consistently supported him through life’s highs and lows.

In a difficult situation when the NCAA had low expectations of him, he expressed, “Those players, coaches, and staff who were at the university during that time genuinely believed I could change our circumstances and improve myself. That belief was incredibly important to me.

6. Travis, who enrolled in college then joined the draft nearly a decade ago, finally received his interdisciplinary studies degree in 2022. However, he didn’t collect it until April 2024, during an unexpected graduation ceremony that coincided with him and Jason recording a live episode of New Heights at Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena.

As the graduate drew near the dean for his well-deserved handshake upon graduation, he was casually carrying a beer can. Immediately following their shake, he swiftly downed the beer from the can.

And Travis was going to graduate in 2022 but he missed his flight.

7. Due mainly to some problems away from the field, Travis was selected fifth among tight ends in the 2013 NFL Draft, being picked first in the third round by the Chiefs. Subsequently, coach Andy Reid, who had previously coached Jason, asked the older Kelce brother to endorse Travis.

Andy and Travis have three Super Bowl rings to show for Jason’s endorsement.

8. For many years prior, Travis used to listen to Randy Newman’s “Burn On” as his pre-game music, though the type of hype music he listens to might have evolved since then.

Speaking on the NBC Sports podcast “PFT Live” in 2017, he shared that as a native of Cleveland’s east side, this particular song often stirs memories of family and makes him reflect on his life journey, appreciating where he is now.

Let us explain: It’s in the opening credits of Major League, the ultimate Cleveland sports movie.

9. Everyone, including Travis, is mispronouncing his last name.

Although they’ve just left with Kelce, who sounds like “Kel-see,” it’s actually rhymed with “else.

Travis’ teammate Chris Jones dropped a surprising comment on “Inside the NFL” in January, saying, “Aren’t things crazy, right?” The brothers verified this when they spoke to their father, Ed Kelce, about it on their “New Heights” podcast.

Jason wondered aloud, “What made you decide to change your name unexpectedly, and now we go by ‘Kel-see’? I can’t help but wonder why it took us 24 years, or 27 in my case, and 25 for Trav, to think of ourselves as ‘Kel-see’?

Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”

10. Worn by Travis No. 87 during his NFL career, this jersey number pays homage to Jason, born in the year 1987.

Travis clarified to NFL Films before the 2023 Super Bowl, where his Chiefs faced Jason’s Eagles, that if there is a Kelce legacy in the NFL, it traces back to 1987, as that was the year their football journey began with the birth of the two brothers who made it to the league.

11. For quite some time, Travis’ foundation and Running have been generous supporters of Operation Breakthrough, a learning center in Kansas City that Travis has collaborated with since his initial visit in 2015, where he read “The Cat in the Hat” to the children. (Paraphrased for natural and easy-to-read language)

Yes, reader, he wore the hat.

Afterward, Travis decided to invest in the Smart Lab and acquired a neighboring old muffler shop for further development. This move enabled them to establish an Ignition Lab, where young scholars transform old cars that were once destined for the junkyard into functioning electric vehicles instead.

12. Travis and Jason affectionately label their listeners as “92% Club” members, inspired by Jason’s past observation that a specific play called a quarterback sneak was successful “approximately 92 percent of the time” when merely one yard is required to score a touchdown.

Listeners appeared to find great amusement and decidedly labeled themselves as the “Ninety-Two Percenters,” as stated on the podcast’s website, which drew a parallel between this term and “a secret symbol or phrase, only expressed verbally.

Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?

13. Travis is accompanied by three personal trainers – Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng – and, as reported by The Athletic, one of them typically follows him wherever he goes to maintain his physical fitness for football throughout the entire year.

Alex, who is not only a physical therapist but also a fitness enthusiast, remembered that Travis expressed his desire to go for a nighttime jog following the numerous fashion shows he attended during Paris Fashion Week, as he had skipped his workout routine on that particular day.

At midnight, our coach was leading us in quick workouts across the city’s bridges over the river, as reported by the New York Times in April. This individual always manages to squeeze in and complete his tasks no matter where he is located.

14. As a long-time friend and personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, whom I’ve known since our days in the fourth grade in Cleveland Heights, is an integral part of my life and culinary endeavors.

In 2016, he was a part-time chef while driving trucks. That year, Travis contacted him with an offer for a new opportunity.

In 2023, Kumar expressed to Vanity Fair that the individual said something along the lines of, “I’m keen on intensifying my dietary commitment.” To which I responded, “Alright, let’s make it happen.” A few days after that, I found myself in Kansas City.

He has taken care of various tasks, ranging from filling up Travis’ refrigerator to providing nutritious meals at the Chiefs’ training center.

15. Travis is receiving closer scrutiny than before on his facial hair, so he shared on New Heights that he got rid of his off-season beard last year and only kept the mustache, paying tribute to the walrus style popularized by Andy Reid in 2023. In 2024, he plans to continue this tradition.

16. In April 2024, when Travis agreed to a two-year deal worth $34.25 million, he became the highest-earning tight end in the NFL for the first time throughout his professional career.

Which finally put an end to years of chatter about how much money he wasn’t making.

In 2023, Travis jokingly shared with Vanity Fair that his supervisors and representatives often remind him of his underpayment. Every time he brings up the topic of increased pay, they respond by suggesting he approach the Chiefs for better compensation.

However, as other revenue streams became available to him, his focus shifted from the salary to the overall atmosphere or feelings associated with those opportunities.

He clarified, “The freedom of the market can seem appealing, but it only feels that way until you realize you’re not coming out on top. Winning is something I really enjoy, and I appreciate my current situation.

Admitting it has a sting, he acknowledged seeing other players earn large sums of money. It makes him wonder if he’s being underestimated. I’m not sure I would give my all if I were compensated as much as I think I deserve, but I do love coming to that place every day.

17. Since his childhood in Cleveland Heights, Travis has always had an interest in fashion, as he noted to Vanity Fair in 2023, explaining that his high school was a daily fashion show.

Since he transformed the room into a closet, it was perfect for storing his designer clothing and over 300 pairs of sneakers, including a pair of size-13 Nike Air Mags which he bought with a significant part of his initial year’s salary, even though they were a size smaller than needed.

Previously, during the early stages of his career, before there were so many shoe-related apps available, he stated to the Wall Street Journal, he would simply buy the shoe size he could find for the particular pair he desired.

Even though Nike is his primary choice (due to the brand’s endorsement), Chucks (Chuck Taylor shoes) are special to him too, as they evoke memories of the fictional baseball star Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez from the movie “The Sandlot“.

18. Among his dozens of investments, Travis co-owns Ohio-brewed Garage Beer with Jason.

Travis expressed in a June statement that it’s no secret he enjoys having a few beers occasionally. Being the owner of Garage Beer and deeply invested in crafting top-notch light beer, he finds it thrilling! There isn’t anything more effective at uniting folks than an icy cold beer, and for him and Jason, that’s what beer represents – camaraderie, kinship, and joy.

19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.

In the past, the series was known as “Gossip Girl”: “Well, it’s fantastic,” he mentioned on “New Heights”. “It’s like a TV show set in New York high schools with plenty of drama, and essentially everyone gossips and talks negatively about each other.

His new favorite show? Peacock’s Emmy-winning backstab-a-ganza The Traitors.

20. As he enters his 12th season in the NFL at 35 years old, Travis has recently become more candid about the physical strain football can impose on a player’s body.

However, from the very beginning, he has steadfastly faced numerous setbacks, starting with a microfracture in his knee during his rookie season which necessitated the initial surgery out of the ten procedures he’s undergone throughout his professional career.

21. Travis openly shared an incident on ‘New Heights’, discussing how he tried but failed to gift Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet bearing his phone number during her Eras Tour stop in Kansas City.

After learning from mutual acquaintances that he wished to meet her, she reached out to him directly.

He shared with WSJ. Magazine that she clearly explained the situation to him, and fortuitously, she contacted him.

22. For as long as anyone can remember, Travis has had a fondness for French toast, which he loves to enjoy smothered in whipped cream and syrup.

But more recently he’s become a fan of his girlfriend’s homemade Pop-Tarts and cinnamon rolls.

23. One of Travis’ phone tones features Chris Farley exclaiming “Good grief!” from the movie ‘Tommy Boy’.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I shared my passion for the humor of Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell with my partner, Taylor. I enthusiastically expressed that this was a significant part of my world, something I wanted to introduce her to. I put it simply, “This is where I groove, right here.

24. Following their victory against the Bengals in the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis enthusiastically exclaimed “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This declaration motivated the Chiefs to play the Beastie Boys song with the same title after every touchdown scored at Arrowhead Stadium following their home games.

2020 saw Chiefs general manager Brett Veach describe Travis Kelce to ESPN as a sort of “energy amplifier,” which is tough to fully grasp how crucial that is. He possesses a unique blend of character, charisma, and passion that draws people in. In our team environment, everyone at the Chiefs considers themselves friends with Travis Kelce. He not only uplifts the spirits, concentration, and dedication of his teammates, but he also keeps things enjoyable. By the day’s end, he remains fun.

However, the lively host who introduced this song into their lives confessed that he wasn’t familiar with all the lyrics from the 1986 hit until he was required to perform it alongside Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.

25. Regarding his preferences, in May 2024, Travis mentioned that his top three songs by Taylor were “Blank Space,” “The Alchemy,” and “So High School.” (Or simply: In May 2024, Travis listed his favorite Taylor tunes as “Blank Space,” “The Alchemy,” and “So High School.”)

Inquired about it back in September, but when asked again, he replied with a sentiment that suggested an equal fondness for each one: “Every single one is my favorite, literally.

26. Early in his career, Travis drew comparisons to Tony Gonzalez, the esteemed tight end of the Chiefs who retired in 2013 following a 17-year stint in the league.

In 2015, as discussions intensified about whether he could indeed outperform Tony’s accomplishments and what a letdown it would be if he failed, Travis chose to disregard the chatter.

He shared with Complex, “No one sets higher goals for me than I do. My ambition is to achieve the most statistically impressive season a tight end has ever seen.

On September 29th, Travis took the lead as the Kansas City Chiefs’ record holder for most receptions, reaching a total of 917 catches, surpassing Tony’s previous mark.

Travis remarked on New Heights, “It’s amazing how things often return to where they started.” Being in first place with the Kansas City Chiefs, an organization that dates back to the ’60s and is one of the original teams that made it to the top and remain strong today, is quite a journey. Much of this success can be attributed to their storied past and a man like Tony Gonzalez, who has been a guiding force for me. I truly admire him.

27. Of Travis’ many accomplishments, keeping his house in order on his own isn’t one of them.

“He can’t clean,” mom Donna Kelce told Extra in September. “He can’t cook.”

However, the prospect of welcoming a special guest while she’s in town might have given you an added incentive to tidy up and organize your space.

“He’s getting a little better,” Donna acknowledged. “I think he’s getting some help.”

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2024-12-18 23:51