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Philadelphia Eagles Jason Kelce Center he announced through tears retirement from football Monday, concluding a stellar 13-year career that brought fame and notoriety rarely enjoyed by an offensive lineman.
Weeping before saying a word to the reporters gathered in front of him, Kelce finally performed a 40-minute tribute to family, friends, teachers, teammates, coaches and Eagles employees who had helped him along the way.
“I announce that I am retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles,” said an emotional Kelce. “Thank you, Philadelphia, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for letting me represent this city and allowing me into your homes every Sunday.”
He ended the marathon meeting with a final note of love for his adopted City of Brotherly Love.
“Forever we will all share the bond of being Philadelphians. That’s all I have,” he said, before leaving the podium and hugging his brother, mom, dad and then kissing his wife.
The 36-year-old Super Bowl champion, selected for his seventh Pro Bowl in January, he is the older brother of Travis Kelce, an all-time great tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs who is now as well-known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
That connection with the world’s most famous pop star helped turn Jason Kelce into one of football’s most identifiable interior linemen, and it hasn’t hurt his enjoyable sideline activities as a madison avenue pitcher and a successful podcaster.
When the eagles were removed from Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoffs in January 15Speculation immediately began that Kelce would hang up his cleats.
And in the weeks following the playoff exit, Kelce seemed intent on having fun and not being depressed by a difficult season finale.
The eagles were among the favorites to play in last month’s Super Bowl and looked like a contender early in the season, winning 10 of its first 11 games. Philadelphia then lost five of its final six regular-season games before Tampa’s embarrassing loss in the playoffs.
“Even though last season really sucked, I wouldn’t trade any of my time with you or these teams for the world,” Kelce said Monday. “Everything happens for a reason”.
Kelce thoroughly enjoyed the rest of January and Super Bowl Sunday on February 11, partying (not always fully dressed) at his brother Travis’ playoff games.
When the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in the conference semifinals on Jan. 21, Kelce’s performance in the stands (to help 8-year-old Ella Piazza get a brief but memorable audience with Swift) was almost as memorable like any play on the field.
Kelce’s shirtless antics were not totally accepted by his wife, Kylie Kelce.
“I thought, ‘Hey, I’m just letting you know what’s going on.’ I’m not asking for permission, I’m doing this,’” she said on “New Heights,” the hit podcast he hosts alongside Travis.
His wife Kylie Klece responded that Jason’s attitude ends in the family adopting a cat against their wishes.
“I think it’s no coincidence that I’ve enjoyed the best years of my career with Kylie by my side,” he said Monday. “All the praise I have received has been with her by my side. She has brought out the best in me through love, devotion, support, honesty, intelligence and, of course, a quick kick in the butt from Occasionally”.
After Kansas City’s exciting overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on February 15, Jason Kelce stole the show again, this time at the Chiefs’ postgame party.
He put on a Mexican wrestling mask which gave rise to several viral videos. While Swift and Travis Kelce danced and hugged in one of those clips, Jason Kelce appeared a few feet away, twirling wildly next to a reveler in a marshmallow mask.
“It’s a very strong dichotomy of, on this side, two people in love and enjoying the moment together, looking at a complete Neanderthal, who is no longer connected to modern society,” Jason Kelce said in “New Heights.”
For non-football fans, Kelce is simply the player who pushes a football between his legs to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, triggering every Philadelphia offensive play.
But as a center, Kelce had the crucial task of identifying the defense’s impending attack and quickly adjusting Philadelphia’s blocking scheme to match it.
Kelce is also at the literal and metaphorical center of Philadelphia’s famous “butt push” play, when he causes a mass of green humanity to rush forward to pick up 1 yard or less. With Kelce leading the way, other players line up behind Hurts and push the quarterback forward with the ball.
No matter how silly the name of the play is and no matter how seemingly minimal its benefit, the “butt push” is one of the games of football. most well known and controversial does it move.
It is often called on fourth-and-1, meaning if the Eagles don’t gain 36 inches of ground, they lose possession. Critics of the play say it doesn’t look like football and could be dangerous for players.
“Listen, ban it. “I really don’t care at this point,” Kelce said during a December episode of “New heights.”
Jason Kelce grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and played in college. football in cincinnati before being taken by the Águilas in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
He has endeared himself to Philadelphia’s notoriously hard-to-please fan base with his performance between the lines and fun-loving personality off the field.
He Philadelphia Phillies, 76ers, Brochures and Philadelphia Union The football team released statements Monday congratulating Kelce on his 13-year career with the city.
“It’s hard to put into words how much Jason Kelce has meant to everyone in this organization,” the Eagles president and CEO said. Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “To the city of Philadelphia. And to our fans. He gave us everything he had for 13 years.”
He Associated Press named Kelce best central defender in football in the 2017 season, which culminated with the Super Bowl 2018 that was won dramatically by Philadelphia over the New England Patriots.
On Monday, Kelce repeatedly thanked Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and said their work together before the 2017 season changed his career.
“In 2017, I enjoyed the best season of my 13-year career, not only as a player but as a team,” he said. “And it meant more because of the struggles and work we had gone through. “Without him (Stoutland), I doubt any of this would have been possible or that I would still be here.”
Adding to his Philadelphia tradition, Kelce donned a “Mime” costume – to dear tradition of Philadelphia celebrations, while drinking beers and giving a profane victory speech at the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory parade.
Kelce helped the Eagles reach another Super Bowl just last year, but Philadelphia came up short in another title thriller, this time to brother travis and he Kansas City bosses.
“I don’t forget the failure against the Chiefs and the conflicting feeling of immense anguish I had, selfishly for myself and my teammates, and at the same time the pride I felt for my brother who climbed the mountaintop once again.” Kelce said. “We have a small family. No cousins, an aunt, an uncle. It was really me and my brother our whole lives.”
Kelce also thanked his steelworker father. and his motherwho has becoming a celebrity in his own right over the past year.
Donna Kelce went to college at a time when girls were not encouraged to pursue higher education. But Jason Kelce said her mother was not deterred by that once-prevailing norm, and she continued a 40-year career, from teller to bank vice president.
“I got the toughness, the aggressiveness and the lunchbox mentality from my father, and from my mother I learned that important lesson of never letting anyone tell you what you can’t do,” he said. “So all of this brings us here to today, where I announce that I am retiring.”