Young Travis Kelce messed up his football career until 'Superman' Jason came to his rescue

Travis Kelce is one of the biggest football players right now after the tight end began dating a certain mega superstar. In his defense, the Kansas City Chiefs player has earned his own success regardless of his love life – his stats prove that. But since he’s found a new group of fans, they’re just as obsessed with Travis Kelce, young memories, his brotherly bond and family.

Most of the world, who follows the lives of celebrities have heard of Travis Kelce by now. Whether that was before or after Taylor Swift stepped out to watch him play at Arrowhead Stadium last September. And even prior to that, they may have taken note of his older brother Jason, who plays as center for the Philadelphia Eagles. The two siblings have a close bond, even if they got into few scraps when they were growing up, such as the time when Travis ‘slammed Jason’ to the ground in one fight as teenagers. Brothers fight. They make up. They move on. It’s part of family. But it’s clear to see no matter what happens on the field, what’s in their heart matters most. We take a look back on a young Jason and Travis Kelce to see how they got where they are today.

Young Travis Kelce was always trying to get Jason in ‘trouble’

An ESPN special on the two brothers, Travis and Jason Kelce, in 2018 shows home videos and cute clips from when they were young, boisterous and fearless little siblings. They grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and it still has a special place in their hearts. Even if Jason now has ties to Philadelphia and Trav with Kansas City.

Jason, who was born in 1987, claimed it was Trav who would be the one to start things as children.

He told the cameras: “Travis was always trying to get me into trouble, he was always pestering me.”

The now 34-year-old even admitted it himself: “I was a menace! I kind of thrived on getting enough trouble where I could try to worm my way out of it”.

It seems they were the perfect example of what having a younger sibling is really like. Their mom even said it would be Travis out of the Kelce brothers who would ‘end up crying at the end’ of whatever row they were having.

The duo, born to Donna and Ed Kelce, managed to pull through it, as they still loved each other.

They ‘lived for competition’

In the adorable throwback video on YouTube, we see the pair – who now host their joint podcast New Heights to their devoted fan club the 92ers – practicing football as children.

But Jason explains both of the Kelce brothers would support each other, even if they were young: “I would go to his [Travis] baseball game, he was always at my football game. We were always doing something”.

They loved athletics, always getting stuck in. Hockey, basketball, football, soccer – you name it.

Jason, married to wife Kylie Kelce, started playing as a running back and linebacker in high school.

Then Trav came along.

The tight end admitted: “All he knew was that he was going to work hard and do his best. Sure enough, I was sitting there taking notes, watching the entire time.

“I only played football because he was playing football.”

But it almost went out the window altogether. Travis, who admitted he may like to star in movies one day, said he ended up failing French and couldn’t play football in sophomore year.

Jason thinks his younger brother felt he “screwed” up, because it’d mean they couldn’t play together on the same team.

The 36-year-old went on to the University of Cincinnati, and eventually tried to convince coaches to recruit his brother. So he can thank his older bro for his successful career.

He says: “I pushed it a little bit, I said, ‘why don’t we offer my brother?’. Once they saw him, they realized how big he was, his athleticism, and that’s when they started to recruit him”.

Trav went on to accept the scholarship, and by 2009, he was on the field.

While they were both at college – even though Travis ended up taking 10 years to graduate – they finally managed to play together. But it was just one game. This was because Trav was in New Orleans, “down there partying, drinking, smoking, out there trying to enjoy life. Doing things I wasn’t supposed to be doing, and it came with a drug test and my heart just sunk to the floor.”

He was off the team, scholarship was out. It was heartbreaking for the athlete.

He turned it around

Although a young Travis Kelce almost blew his entire career – and made Jason “mad”, it’s clear he was meant to play football.

He even got choked up in the YouTube clip, about hitting rock bottom.

But he turned to Jason for help, and moved in with him, Jason didn’t mind looking after Trav to make sure he was acting responsibly. Not only that, but he begged the coach to give him once more chance – and he did.

“My brother came in,-” Travis begins before wiping away tears. “My brother came in like he was Superman, I don’t know what the heck he told him. I don’t know what he said.”

After losing his scholarship, he worked as a telemarketer to pay for his studies. Although it was tough, Jason thinks it was the ‘best thing’ to happen to him, to shape who he is today, to “overcome” the hurdle he faced.

Then Jason was chosen by the Eagles head coach at the time, Andy Reid – who Travis later played for at Kansas City Chiefs – in 2011. Trav was offered a scholarship as a tight end at college, and two years later was picked by the Chiefs after Reid called him.

The rest is history.

Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-04-19

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