Upon further review, Patrick Mahomes understands how he could have confused some fans.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sparked some chatter on February 4th when he publicly congratulated teammate Travis Kelce on X (formerly Twitter). He simply wrote, “Let’s go!!!!” along with three bullseye emojis.
Patrick’s mysterious post led his fans to guess what he was happy about, with some wondering about Travis’s NFL career and others speculating he and Taylor Swift might have secretly gotten married.
It turned out Patrick was simply amazed by Travis’s golf game at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open pro-am, especially when Travis almost got a hole-in-one.
He continued the conversation, referencing a golf course. The athlete also reposted a video of the tight end’s powerful tee shot on the 16th hole, which someone described as a perfect shot.
But Patrick wasn’t the only person cheering on Travis from afar.
Okay, so this is fun! I noticed Taylor Swift actually liked a comment on Golf Channel’s Instagram about Travis Kelce’s amazing tee shot. The comment was a joke saying she’d be inspired to write a song about it, and she clearly got a kick out of it! It’s just another little moment showing how much she’s enjoying getting into the world of golf and supporting Travis.
It’s easy to see why Patrick’s post got fans so excited. With Travis’s contract with the Chiefs ending in March, there’s a real possibility he might retire from football.
During a press conference on November 21st, he said he wants to let the Chiefs know his plans for next season before April. He explained he’d like to decide if he’ll return before the team needs to consider draft picks or free agent signings. He wants to give them time to plan, regardless of whether they want him back.
When Patrick injured his knee and his season was over in December, Travis thought about whether he might have played his final NFL game alongside his friend.
He described the situation as “crazy” and called it a unique period in his life during a press conference on December 19th.
To learn more about Travis’ life on and off the field, keep reading.
Although Travis Kelce is now strongly associated with Kansas City, Missouri, he was actually raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Okay, so this is amazing to me. He doesn’t even say where he went to college – like, forget the University of Cincinnati! – he just yells out his hometown every single time they introduce the players on the broadcast. It’s just… it’s perfect. He’s so proud of where he’s from, it’s the best!
Which, as you might guess, has irked some fellow alums.
Travis Kelce explained that while he deeply values his time at the University of Cincinnati, it wasn’t always easy. Speaking at his and brother Jason Kelce’s Hall of Fame induction in 2019, he admitted he faced challenges, including losing his scholarship due to some poor decisions. He joked that, like many people from their high school, he’d made his share of mistakes and was ‘that guy’ among his friends.
He explained that Cleveland Heights wasn’t just important to him personally, but to everyone in the community. He emphasized the city’s diversity and how it inspired him. He said everything he does, both on and off the field, is dedicated to Cleveland Heights, and even his celebratory moments are a tribute to the city and its people.
2. About that revoked scholarship…
Following a perfect 2009 season and a Big East championship, Travis tested positive for marijuana before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. This came after he partied excessively on New Year’s Eve while in New Orleans.
He didn’t just miss the bowl game – the NCAA suspended him for the entire 2010 season and he lost his scholarship. This left him without housing or meals, so he moved in with his brother Jason, sharing a room in the house Jason shared with teammates. To support himself, he took a job as a telemarketer, calling people to get their opinions on the Affordable Care Act.
They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.
Before focusing on football, Travis played hockey, baseball, and basketball. He actually started as a quarterback in high school and was initially recruited by Cincinnati as a two-star QB. He only switched to tight end because the team required it for him to rejoin after a suspension.
When I was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, we already had a great quarterback in Zach Collaros, but we needed more support for both running and passing plays,” Travis explained to Arrowhead Pride. “I spoke with my coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end was what we needed. Luckily, my abilities and athleticism fit the role perfectly, and it all worked out well for me.
He told GQ magazine in 2017, reflecting on a low point in his career, that people had always seen him as a tight end, regardless of what he did.
Travis often hung out at the house on 127 W. Nixon Street with Jason and other members of the Bearcats team, and things frequently got lively thanks to a lot of beer.
According to college friend and teammate Tom DeTemple, the brothers would spend hours playing Nintendo 64, often combining it with drinking games. He told the New York Times before the 2024 Super Bowl that they’d invent spontaneous rules while playing and were surprisingly skilled at it.
5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.
Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs player shared how much Cincinnati means to him. He expressed strong pride in his time at the University of Cincinnati, mentioning he recently earned his degree and enjoys supporting the school whenever possible. He especially misses the camaraderie with his former teammates and the people who supported him through thick and thin.
Even while facing NCAA scrutiny, he explained that the players, coaches, and staff at the university had faith in his ability to improve and succeed. He said their belief in him meant a lot to him then.
After nearly ten years away from school to pursue his football career, Travis completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022. He didn’t receive his diploma until April 2024, when he was surprised with a small graduation ceremony following a live taping of his podcast, New Heights, with Jason at the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.
As the graduate went to shake the dean’s hand and receive congratulations, he was already holding a beer and immediately drank it down.
And Travis was going to graduate in 2022 but he missed his flight.
Because of some personal issues, Travis Kelce wasn’t drafted as high as some expected, becoming the fifth tight end selected in the 2013 NFL Draft – picked in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Once Travis joined the team, head coach Andy Reid, who had previously coached Travis’s brother Jason in Philadelphia, asked Jason to give him a positive assessment of Travis’s character and potential.
Andy and Travis have three Super Bowl rings to show for Jason’s endorsement.
Travis used to listen to Randy Newman’s song “Burn On” before every game for years, though his pre-game music choices have since changed.
Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on my family and how grateful I am for my life, he explained on the 2017 NBC Sports podcast, PFT Live.
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.
Everyone’s been pronouncing Kelce as “Kel-see,” but the correct pronunciation actually rhymes with “else.”
Okay, so can you BELIEVE it? Chris Jones just dropped this insane news on Inside the NFL back in January – he was all, “Seriously, how wild is that?” – and then Jason and Travis actually MADE their dad, Ed Kelce, address it on their New Heights podcast! It was so good, hearing them grill him about it. I’ve replayed that part like a million times, honestly. It’s just… everything!
Jason was confused. “Why the sudden name change? And why did we all just assume our name was Kel-see for so long – for my first 27 years, and Trav’s 25?”
Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”
Travis has worn the number 87 throughout his NFL career to honor his brother, Jason, who was born in 1987.
Travis Kelce shared with NFL Films before the 2023 Super Bowl that the story of his family’s NFL success – with both him and his brother Jason reaching the league – began in 1987, the year he was born. He was referring to the game where his Chiefs played against Jason’s Eagles.
Travis Kelce’s Eighty Seven & Running foundation has consistently supported Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City nonprofit learning center. He first volunteered there in 2015, reading The Cat in the Hat to the children, and has been involved ever since.
Yes, reader, he wore the hat.
I’ve been a huge supporter of Travis’s work for a while now, and it’s been amazing to watch the program grow. He really put his money where his mouth is, investing in their Smart Lab and even buying the old muffler shop next door! They used that space to build the Ignition Lab, which is where things really took off. These incredible young students are taking cars that would have been junked and completely transforming them into working electric vehicles – it’s truly inspiring to see!
Travis and Jason affectionately call their podcast listeners “92 percenters.” This nickname comes from a joke Jason made about a quarterback sneak – a short-yardage play – succeeding about 92% of the time when a team only needs one yard to score a touchdown.
Listeners loved the podcast so much they started calling themselves the “92 percenters.” The podcast’s website described the nickname as a way for fans to identify each other, like a shared inside joke.
Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?
Travis Kelce works with three trainers – Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng – and typically has one travel with him to help him stay in peak condition for football year-round, according to The Athletic.
Alex, a physical therapist, remembered Travis wanting to go for a run late at night after Paris Fashion Week. Travis had skipped his usual workout that day and felt the need to be active.
The trainer told the New York Times in April that they were doing sprints over the river bridges at midnight. He added that no matter where his athlete is, he always makes time to complete what’s necessary.
Travis has known his personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, since they were kids growing up in Cleveland Heights.
Let me tell you, back in 2016, I was just a regular guy—a truck driver who loved to cook as a hobby. Then, out of the blue, Travis reached out with an incredible opportunity that completely changed my life. It was a total surprise!
Kumar recalled that the person said, ‘I really want to commit to a healthy diet and take it to the next level.’ Kumar responded that he immediately agreed, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.
He handles a wide range of tasks, from simple things like refilling Travis’ refrigerator to more involved duties like providing nutritious lunches for the Chiefs players at their practice facility.
Travis Kelce has been getting a lot of attention for his facial hair lately. He recently shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he shaved his beard after the season in 2023 but kept his mustache to copy the look favored by his coach, Andy Reid – and he’s doing it again in 2024.
Okay, so you will NOT believe this, but my absolute FAVORITE player, Travis, just signed a contract in April 2024 for $34.25 million over two years! Can you even?! It officially made him the highest-paid tight end in the entire NFL, which he deserves, honestly. It’s the first time ever for him, and I’m seriously losing it. He’s the best, and now everyone knows it!
Which finally put an end to years of chatter about how much money he wasn’t making.
In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Travis Kelce joked that his managers and agents often point out how little he earns. He said whenever he brings up wanting a raise, they tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for more money.
Honestly, it was amazing to see. He’d gotten so successful, with all these different projects taking off, that money just wasn’t the point anymore. He started doing things because he wanted to, chasing what felt right, the whole atmosphere of a thing. It was less about the cash and way more about the feeling, you know?
He said the idea of a free market seems good until you experience losing. He emphasized his strong desire to win and expressed satisfaction with his current position.
Let’s be real, seeing headlines about other players landing massive contracts definitely gives you a moment of pause. It’s natural to wonder if you’re being valued fairly, and whether pushing harder would actually translate into the compensation you deserve. Honestly, it’s something I’ve thought about. But at the end of the day, I genuinely love what I do and enjoy going to work every single day, and that’s what really matters to me.
Travis developed a passion for clothing at a young age while growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily “fashion show” in a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.
He turned a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and impressive sneaker collection—over 300 pairs! He even splurged on a pair of size-13 Nike Air Mags with a significant part of his first professional paycheck, even though they didn’t quite fit.
He told the Wall Street Journal that when he started out, before sneaker apps were common, he’d just buy whatever size of shoe he could find that he liked.
He’s a big fan of Nike, especially since they sponsor him, but he also loves Chuck Taylor sneakers. They remind him of the famous baseball player 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 shared in a statement last June that he enjoys a beer every now and then, so he’s thrilled to be an owner of Garage Beer and help create a great light beer. He believes there’s nothing quite like a cold beer to connect people, and that’s what he and Jason value most about it – bringing friends, family, and good times together.
19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.
He reminisced about the show Gossip Girl, describing it on the New Heights podcast as a classic New York high school drama filled with gossip and backstabbing. He simply said, “It’s awesome.”
His new favorite show? Peacock’s Emmy-winning backstab-a-ganza The Traitors.
After 12 seasons in the NFL, 35-year-old Travis has recently been sharing more about the physical challenges of playing football.
From the very beginning of his career, he’s consistently faced tough challenges. It started when a knee injury – a small fracture – forced him to miss his first season and led to a decade of needing ten surgeries.
Travis Kelce recently shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he tried to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it while she was performing in Kansas City, but wasn’t able to.
I heard through the people around her – those who knew Travis and that he was really interested in meeting her – that she actually reached out to him first. It was a surprise to a lot of us, but she took the initiative!
He told WSJ. Magazine that she explained the whole situation to him, and how fortunate he was that she contacted him.
Travis has always loved French toast, especially when it’s covered in whipped cream and syrup.
But more recently he’s become a fan of his girlfriend’s homemade Pop-Tarts and cinnamon rolls.
23. At least one of Travis’ ringtones is Chris Farley shrieking “For the love of God!” in Tommy Boy.
He told WSJ. Magazine that he’s eager to share his favorite comedians – like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell – with Taylor. He explained, ‘I told her, this is what I really love.’
After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis Kelce shouted “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This led to the team playing the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at home games at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach described Travis Kelce as a huge boost to team morale, saying in 2020 that it’s difficult to overstate his impact. Kelce brings a contagious energy, passion, and charisma that draws everyone in. He’s well-liked by the entire team and consistently lifts people’s spirits, improves their focus, and makes the work environment enjoyable.
The person who enthusiastically introduced the song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics to the 1986 hit until they had to sing it with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.
25. Speaking of his jams, in May 2024 Travis cited his three favorite Taylor songs as “Blank Space,” “The Alchemy” and “So High School.”
When asked about them a few months later, he gave a different answer, saying, “I love them all—absolutely every single one.”
He publicly stated in August 2025 that his favorite song from The Life of a Show Girl is “Opalite.”
People began comparing Travis Kelce to Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ all-time great tight end who retired in 2013 after 17 seasons, very early in Kelce’s career.
Back in 2015, as people began to seriously discuss whether Travis could exceed Tony’s accomplishments – and how let down everyone would be if he didn’t – Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.
I’m my own harshest critic,” he explained to Complex. “I’m aiming for a record-breaking season – I want to be the most productive tight end statistically the game has ever seen.
In 2024, Travis became the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions, breaking Tony’s record with his 917th catch.
On the New Heights podcast, Travis remarked on how things often come back around. He pointed out that being a leader on the Kansas City Chiefs—a team with roots dating back to the 1960s and one of the original franchises still thriving—feels special. He believes the team’s long history, and especially the guidance of players like Tony Gonzalez, who has mentored him, are key to their continued success, expressing a strong fondness for Gonzalez.
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 2024. “He can’t cook.”
But perhaps hosting a special someone served as extra motivation to get it together.
“He’s getting a little better,” Donna acknowledged. “I think he’s getting some help.”
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2026-02-05 04:49