Connect with us

CELEBRITY

Jason Kelce retires an icon in one of sports’ toughest cities

Published

on

Jason Kelce retires an icon in one of sports' toughest cities

 

Jason Kelce was an afterthought when he arrived in Philadelphia in 2011 as an undersized offensive lineman who had walked on to his college team as a running back.

 

Jason Kelce retires an icon in one of sports' toughest cities

He was a kid from Cleveland with a reputation for having a bad temper, which was part of why he slipped into the sixth round of the NFL Draft. He had no idea at the time if he’d be able to build a career with the Eagles. But then he got a call from his agent, Jason Bernstein who told him “You have no idea how perfect this is.” “You are going to fit in great in Philadelphia,” he said, as Kelce recalled on Monday. “This is your kind of town.”

That feeling turned out to be mutual. Kelce was Philadelphia’s kind of player, too. After 13 remarkable seasons and the only Super Bowl championship in Philly history, the 36-year-old Kelce officially retired on Monday as one of the city’s all-time favorite adopted sons. He had an iconic run in one of America’s toughest sports towns — impressive considering that when Kelce first showed up for his first Eagles training camp, even he questioned whether he belonged.

But he won the Eagles’ starting center job that summer, and never once looked back. He played in 193 games and started every one of them. He started the last 156 consecutive games of his career — a new franchise record. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a six-time first-team All-Pro — an honor he earned in each of the last three years. That is why he will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But it took more than that to make him the Philadelphia legend that he has undoubtedly become.

Kelce earned that because deep down he knew what so many athletes never learn — that the most beloved players aren’t always the biggest stars. Fans tend to fall in love with the players who bring toughness, attitude and work ethic. They embrace the players who embody their city, and what they believe is the spirit of their town. They want someone who wants to be one of them, and that they’re proud to adopt as their own.

It didn’t take Kelce very long to figure all that out. “Some people struggle to play in this city,” he said. “They can’t handle the boos, the media, or our fans. Consider it a blessing to play in the most passionate sports town in America. No one celebrates their own like the city of Philadelphia. Athletes become demigods in this city.

“Yes, they will let you know when you’re not performing well. Every time. But they will also love you if you show effort, aggression, desire, the will to fight. They will love you in this city if you love it, the way you love your brother. You will be loved by going above and beyond to show that you care.

NFL9 hours ago

Jason and Travis kelce’s mom Donna Kelce Rushed to Emergency Medical Care After Collapsing from Heart-Related Complications; Paramedics Seen Administering CPR and Assisted Breathing on Scene

NFL9 hours ago

Kansas City Chiefs Confirm Head Coach Andy Reid Will Be Absent from the Sideline Against the Commanders as He Battles Serious Health Challenges

NFL9 hours ago

Taylor Swift Calls for Constitutional Action, Declaring That Only Article II, Section 4 — the Impeachment Clause — Can Save the United States from Donald Trump’s Expanding Threat to Democracy

NFL14 hours ago

Donald Trump Officially Confirms Plans to Run for a Third Presidential Term, Defying the U.S. Constitution’s Two-Term Limit and Promising to “Restore America’s Greatness Once More

NFL15 hours ago

Taylor Swift Commends Massive Anti-Trump Protests Sweeping Through South Korea as Citizens Rally Against the U.S. President’s Upcoming East Asia Visit

NFL16 hours ago

Jason Kelce and Father Ed Kelce Enjoy Dinner Together at Travis’ Newly Opened 1587 Prime Steakhouse

NFL16 hours ago

Taylor Swift Declares the Nation Has Entered “Dark Days” Under Trump, Urging the American People to Rise, Resist, and Rebuild a More Compassionate Future against the Fascist Regime

NFL19 hours ago

Selena Gomez, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Zac Efron Applaud Taylor Swift’s $5 Million Red Cross Donation to Support Victims of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, as they Pledge $1 Million Each for Food, Water, and Hygiene Relief too

NFL20 hours ago

The Chiefs Turn Arrowhead Into a House of Horrors— Lanterns Lit, Spirits Awakened, and the Commanders March Into the Dark for a Halloween Night of Fear and Football Tonight.

NFL1 day ago

Taylor Swift Donates $1 Million to Food Assistance Programs as Millions Face Uncertainty Following Donald Trump’s Decision to Terminate SNAP Benefits

NFL1 day ago

Taylor Swift Donates $10 Million to Texas Food Banks and an Additional $1 Million to Meals on Wheels Programs as Families Struggle With Soaring Food Prices Following New Donald Trump Administration Policy

NFL2 days ago

Taylor Swift Turns Up the Heat on Jeff Bezos, Removing Her Music from Amazon and Accusing the Billionaire of Secretly Backing Donald Trump, Saying “Silence in the Face of Hate Is Complicity

Copyright © 2024 USAmidia