Travis Kelce Speaks Out After Heated Exchanges With Andy Reid

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Don’t call Travis Kelce an anti-hero.

Even though the tight end seemed to have a tense conversation with head coach Andy Reid during the game on September 21st, he says their relationship is still strong.

Travis, 35, expressed strong support for someone during a press conference on September 26, as reported by the Kansas City Star. He stated that nothing outside of the current situation would change his feelings and that both parties clearly understood each other’s goals.

Travis Kelce, the Super Bowl winner who recently got engaged to Taylor Swift in August, shared how the 67-year-old has helped him become a better player.

He believes Coach Reid’s greatest strength is pushing players to perform at their peak, and he really appreciates that. He said it definitely helped him improve his game significantly during that particular game.

Like Maya, Andy didn’t explain what caused the awkward moment, simply saying it was a normal part of doing business.

The coach praised Travis, saying he’s skilled at knowing when to be cautious and when to take risks. He added that while Travis is fully committed, he sometimes needs to be reined in.

The experienced coach, who has led the Chiefs since 2013, also mentioned that he and Travis have shared many experiences throughout their time working together. He then playfully commented on how dedicated his star player is to football.

“He’s an emotional guy,” Andy observed, adding, “He’s Irish.”

This wasn’t the first time Travis Kelce had let his emotions get the better of him. During the 2024 Super Bowl, cameras showed him arguing with his coach and briefly grabbing his arm, but he immediately apologized for his behavior.

Days later, on his podcast New Heights, Travis explained he wasn’t able to generate enough force to really throw his opponent off balance. He said when the other player stumbled, his immediate thought was simply, ‘Oh no.’

Travis shared his admiration for Coach Reid, saying, “Coach Reid understands how much I value being one of the players he’s coached.”

Keep reading for more on Travis’ life on and off the field.

Although Travis Kelce is now closely associated with Kansas City, Missouri, he was actually raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

During game broadcasts, when players are introduced, this man proudly announces his hometown rather than his college, the University of Cincinnati.

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

Look, I absolutely *loved* my time at Cincinnati, I really do. It means the world to me. But honestly? It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. There was a period where things were really rough. I messed up, big time – I actually lost my scholarship for a while. I did a lot of things I’m not proud of, let me tell you. And knowing people from Cleveland Heights, I’m sure a lot of you know exactly what I mean – I was *that* guy, the one making all the bad decisions!

He explained that Cleveland Heights wasn’t just important to him personally, but to everyone in the community. He highlighted the city’s diversity and how it inspires him, saying everything he does – even his celebratory moments on the field – is a tribute to the city and its people. He admitted it might sound like a familiar sentiment, but assured everyone that his actions truly represent his dedication to Cleveland Heights.

2. About that revoked scholarship…

Following Cincinnati’s perfect 2009 season and Big East championship, Travis tested positive for marijuana before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. This happened after he overindulged while celebrating New Year’s Eve in New Orleans.

He didn’t just miss the bowl game; the NCAA also suspended him for the entire 2010 season and took away his scholarship. This left him without housing or meals, so he moved in with his brother Jason – sharing Jason’s room in the team house – and got a job as a telemarketer. His job involved calling people to get their opinions on the Affordable Care Act.

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

Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing hockey, baseball, and basketball before focusing on football, where he initially played quarterback. He was recruited as a two-star quarterback by Cincinnati, but after a suspension, he was allowed back on the team only if he switched positions to tight end.

When I was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, we already had a great quarterback in Zach Collaros, but we were looking to improve both our running and passing offenses,” 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 were a good fit, and everything worked out perfectly.

He told *GQ* magazine in 2017, reflecting on a particularly embarrassing experience, that people had always assumed he was better suited to playing tight end.

Travis often hung out at the house on 127 W. Nixon Street, where he lived with Jason and other members of the Bearcats team, and they frequently had lively, beer-filled gatherings.

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 these games on the spot and were surprisingly skilled at them.

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

Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs player spoke to reporters about 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 particularly misses the friends and mentors he made there who have supported him through good times and bad.

Even though the NCAA was investigating him, he said the players, coaches, and staff at the university believed in his ability to improve and succeed. He added that their support meant a lot to him at the time.

After nearly ten years away from school to pursue a career in football, Travis finally graduated in 2022 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. He received his diploma in April 2024 at a special, unexpected graduation ceremony held in Cincinnati after he and Jason recorded a live episode of their podcast, *New Heights*, at Fifth Third Arena.

As the graduate went to shake the dean’s hand in 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.

Travis Kelce wasn’t one of the first tight ends drafted in 2013, largely because of some personal issues. He ended up being the fifth tight end selected, going to the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round. 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 character reference about Travis.

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 evolved.

Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on family and appreciate where I am in 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.”

The news came out when Chris Jones, Travis’ teammate, mentioned it on *Inside the NFL* in January, famously saying, “Fking crazy, right?” Travis and his brother Jason later confirmed the story when they talked to their dad, Ed Kelce, on their *New Heights* podcast.

Jason was confused. “Why did you suddenly change your name? And why did we all think it was ‘Kel-see’ for so long – 27 years for me, 25 for Trav?”

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 playing professionally – began in 1987, the year he was born. He was referencing the start of what would become a lasting family legacy as he prepared to play against his brother’s team, the Philadelphia Eagles, with his own team, the Kansas City Chiefs.

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.

Since then, Travis has supported the program by investing in its Smart Lab and purchasing the building next door. This allowed them to create the Ignition Lab, where students transformed old, discarded cars into functional electric vehicles.

Travis and Jason affectionately call their podcast listeners “92 percenters.” This nickname comes from a joke Jason made about a football play called a quarterback sneak, which he claimed was successful 92% of the time when a team only needs to gain one yard for a touchdown.

Listeners loved the podcast so much they started calling themselves the “92 percenters.” The podcast’s website described it as a shared inside joke – a way for fans to connect with each other.

Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?

Travis Kelce works with three personal trainers: Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng. The Athletic reports that he typically has one of them travel with him to help him stay in peak condition for football throughout the year.

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.

According to an interview with the *New York Times* in April, the trainer said they were doing sprint workouts on the bridges over the river at midnight. He emphasized that, regardless of location, the athlete always makes time to complete his necessary tasks.

Travis’s chef, Kumar Ferguson, is actually a childhood friend – they’ve known each other since fourth grade when they both lived in Cleveland Heights.

I still remember when it all started! He was just a regular guy, driving a truck and messing around in the kitchen, when out of the blue, Travis called! Can you believe it? He offered him *the* opportunity, the one that changed everything. I was so excited for him, even back then!

Kumar recounted to *Vanity Fair* in 2023 that the person said, ‘I really want to commit to a healthier diet and take it to the next level.’ Kumar responded that he was immediately on board, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.

He handles a wide range of tasks, including everything from keeping Travis’ fridge full to making sure the Chiefs players get nutritious lunches at practice.

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 of coach Andy Reid – a look Reid often sports, resembling a walrus. He’s decided to do the same thing again in 2024.

In April 2024, Travis signed a two-year contract worth $34.25 million, making him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end – a first for his career.

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 frequently point out how little he earns. He said whenever he brings up wanting a raise, they always tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for more money.

By that point, he had so many other ways to make money that he was more interested in enjoying his work than earning a large salary.

He said the idea of a free market seems good until you experience losing. He emphasized that he enjoys success and is happy with his current position.

He admitted it’s a little discouraging to see how much other players are earning. It makes him wonder if he’s being fairly compensated, and if pushing harder would actually result in him getting what he deserves. Despite those thoughts, he genuinely enjoys his job and going to work every day.

Travis developed a passion for clothing as a teenager growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily fashion show, according to a 2023 interview with *Vanity Fair*.

He turned a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and massive sneaker collection-over 300 pairs! He even splurged on a pair of size 13 Nike Air Mags with a significant chunk of his first professional salary, even though they didn’t quite fit.

He told the Wall Street Journal that early in his career, before sneaker apps were common, he just bought whatever size of shoe he could find.

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 bring people together, and that’s what he and Jason value most about it-connecting with friends and family and having a good time.

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 people talking negatively about each other. He called it ‘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.

He’s faced constant challenges from the start of his career. It began when a knee injury – a small fracture – forced him to miss his first season, and he’s since undergone ten surgeries throughout his career, dealing with it all with remarkable resilience.

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 always heard whispers from people around her – they knew Travis and that he was really keen to meet her. Eventually, she reached out to him directly. It was such a relief to finally hear that!

He told *WSJ. Magazine* that she explained the situation to him and how he felt fortunate 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 love of comedians like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell with Taylor. He explained, “I told her, ‘This is what I’m really into.’”

After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis Kelce shouted “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This led the team to begin playing the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at home games in 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 special combination of personality, passion, and leadership that draws people in. Everyone in the Chiefs organization considers Travis a friend, and he consistently lifts the spirits, focus, and energy of those around him – all while keeping things enjoyable.

The person who famously introduced the 1986 song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics until he 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 in September, he’d changed his answer to saying, “They’re all my favorites-absolutely every single one.”

I remember even early in Travis Kelce’s career, people were already comparing him to Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ all-time great tight end. Gonzalez had retired a few years prior, after an amazing 17 seasons, but the similarities were clear, and fans like me couldn’t help but see echoes of his brilliance in Kelce’s game.

Back in 2015, as people began to seriously discuss whether Travis would exceed Tony’s accomplishments – and how letdown fans would be if he didn’t – Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.

I’m my own harshest critic,” he said to *Complex*. “I’m aiming for a record-breaking season – I want to have the best statistical year any tight end has ever had.

Okay, so like, 2024 was HUGE. Travis Kelce? He officially became the BEST receiver in Chiefs history! He caught his 917th pass, which meant he finally passed Tony Gonzalez – seriously, it was a moment! I was screaming, honestly. He’s just… the greatest, and now it’s officially documented!

On the podcast *New Heights*, Travis Kelce reflected on how things often come back around. He pointed out that being a leader on the Kansas City Chiefs, a team with roots going back to the 1960s, feels special. He believes their continued success is thanks to their long history and players like Tony Gonzalez, who has been a significant influence and mentor to him. He expressed a strong admiration 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.”

Maybe having a visitor gave him the extra push he needed to get things organized.

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

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2025-09-27 05:19