Waterworks were pouring out of eyes in Philadelphia on Monday, as Eagles veteran center Jason Kelce officially announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons.
It wasn’t just Kelce with streams of water down his face during his press conference either. His younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was in the front row getting emotional as well.
Travis, wearing a pair of black sunglasses, couldn’t keep his emotions under the shades. Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com caught video of him wiping his eyes as well as their mother, Donna, teary-eyed next to him.
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Jason mentioned Travis during his speech, reflecting on the moment he heard the Chiefs drafted him.
“And my brother receiving the call and him being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs,” Jason said as he and Travis both got emotional. “This time, the tears down both my father and I’s face as my brother realized his own [dream].”
Of course, their father, Ed Kelce, and Jason’s wife, Kylie, were also present with many others as the All-Pro center fought back his emotions while making a 45-minute speech at the podium. There were times Jason had to totally regroup, as he couldn’t help but cry in this bittersweet moment.
EAGLES’ JASON KELCE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM NFL
As brothers do, Jason and Travis continuously supported one another, even though they weren’t on the same team. That was even the case in Super Bowl LVII when the Eagles and Chiefs played against each other.
When Jason finished his speech, he walked off the stage and immediately gave a huge bear hug to Travis before doing the same with each member of his family.
It goes without saying the impact Jason has had on the Philadelphia community on and off the field. The accolades of seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro nods to go along with a Super Bowl title during the 2017 campaign has him pegged for the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.
He’s also been giving back to his community since joining the Eagles as a sixth-round pick in the 2011 Draft, whether it’s through his work with the Eagles Autism Foundation or his (Be)Philly Foundation.
“It is difficult to put into words how much Jason Kelce has meant to everyone in this organization, to the City of Philadelphia, and to our fans,” Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “He gave everything he had to all of us for 13 years, and he did it in a way that was truly authentic. Jason was an incredible football player; a future Hall of Famer who would have been successful anywhere. But has there ever been a more perfect marriage between a player, a city and a team?
“His grit and determination, from being a walk-on linebacker at Cincinnati to an undersized sixth-round pick in 2011, are unparalleled. His intelligence and versatility, from starting as a rookie center in a lockout season to thriving under multiple coaches and offensive schemes, set him apart from others at his position. The genuine love and care he showed his coaches, teammates and staff endeared him to all he worked alongside. The passion and intensity that he poured into everything he did, both on and off the field, made a city fall in love.”
As for Travis, there’s been no indication that he’s going to call it quits anytime soon, especially after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win back-to-back Super Bowls. He did admit that the thought of retirement had entered his mind in the past, but he isn’t dwelling on it quite like Jason.
Jason’s contributions to the Eagles and the game as a whole over the last 13 years will be remembered.
