Travis Kelce has received media attention for his relationship with Taylor Swift, gaining a flood of new supporters. With his name in entertainment headlines, many people may need to learn who Travis Kelce is or his achievements.
Who is Travis Kelce?
Travis Kelce was born to Ed and Donna Kelce (a former Ohio University Bobcat), in Westlake, Ohio, on Oct. 5, 1989. He was raised in Cleveland Heights, where he graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 2008. Travis and his older brother Jason — All-Pro center for the Philadelphia Eagles — played football for the University of Cincinnati, or UC.
Kelce’s college football career would see many ups and downs. He has admittedly opened up about the mistakes he made that could have ruined his career before he made it to the NFL, including his 2010 suspension from football during his time at UC. He failed a drug test, testing positive for marijuana. In a “Club Shay Shay” interview with host Shannon Sharpe, he talks about his brother saving his career and advocating for him to the coaching staff.
He would be suspended for a year, and come back in 2012 for his last season. In his final season at UC, Travis would set the record for receiving yards as a tight end in a season, having caught 59 passes for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns.
NFL
Kelce would enter the world of pro football during the 2013 NFL draft after he was picked, as the 63rd overall pick, by the Kansas City Chiefs. After the rumors of Kelce's college career made it to the ears of NFL staff, Chiefs’ Andy Reid head coach called Jason Kelce to vouch for Travis.
Kelce would select his uniform number, 87, in honor of his brother Jason, who was born in 1987. However, Kelce only played one game during his debut season due to an injured knee. He would return during the 2014 season where he would play 16 games, have 862 receiving yards and five touchdowns. From 2016 to 2022, Kelce would have more than 1,000 yards. In Kelce’s decade-long career, he has amassed 907 receptions, 1,328 yards and 74 touchdowns.
Travis Kelce vs. Jason Kelce
Last year, Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, got to share the biggest game in the NFL, the Super Bowl. This would mark the first, and maybe last, time the brothers would face-off in the Super Bowl, as Jason Kelce is considering retirement.
The Kansas City Chiefs would take home the victory with a score of 38-35, in which Kelce caught six passes for 81 yards and made one touchdown.
Kelce, emotional about the win and fighting back tears, stated, “There's nothing you can really say to a loved one in a situation like that — You joke around all the time and say you want to beat your brother on the biggest stage, but it's a weird feeling."
Personal life and the 2024 Super Bowl
Due to his current relationship with Taylor Swift and recent professional achievements, people are learning more about Travis Kelce. Fans have become interested in his fun personality, personal beliefs, achievements and some skeptical reality TV shows.
In 2022, the Kelce brothers started a podcast called “New Heights” which has reached popularity in the mainstream. With 2.7 million subscribers, Jason Kelce mentioned how this podcast has forced the brothers to have meaningful conversations:
“Before this, we would go months on our own deal without talking,” Kelce said. “Doing this once a week, we're gonna sit down and talk, and we're gonna have very meaningful conversations, fun conversations and really know where each of us are at in their lives. That's the most fun part about it."
With the help of the Swifties, the “New Heights” podcast overtook Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” for one week.
On the podcast, they share stories about their upbringing, conversations about the NFL, interviews with NFL players (current and former) and staff and much more. These stories include how both brothers were kicked out of preschool, much to the dismay of Jason Kelce’s wife, Kylie Kelce.
After the 2023 Super Bowl, Travis hosted “SNL,” in which he received praise for his comedic nature. In an article for Vanity Fair, Kelce is mentioned to be in the 99th percentile of athletes who have hosted “SNL.”
In late 2023 and early 2024, Kelce has spoken out about his relationship with Swift. Both confirmed their relationship during their individual interviews, with The Wall Street Journal, Kelce, and TIME, Swift, magazines.
Kelce had a brief bachelor-style dating show in 2016 called “Catching Kelce” which only aired for one season on E!. The winner of the show is his now former girlfriend, Maya Benberry.
Benberry advised Swift to watch her back while dating Kelce, in an interview with Daily Mail, stating that she would not be a “girls’ girl” if she didn’t warn her about Kelce’s accused cheating habit:
“Taylor seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit so I wish her the best of luck but I wouldn’t be a girls' girl if I didn’t advise her to be smart! I’m sure by now she has mastered the ability to see who is really there for her — and who is just using her.”
Kelce refuted Benberry’s “Once a cheater, always a cheater” claim by telling TMZ her interview was “a poor excuse of someone trying to get her 15 minutes of fame.” However, this wouldn’t be the only conversation surrounding Kelce’s new relationship and a former girlfriend.
On-air sports journalist Kayla Nicole became a subject of public attention after she unfollowed former friends Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, seemingly due to Brittany’s appearance with Kelce’s current girlfriend. The two started dating in 2017 and were in an on-again, off-again relationship for five years.
This sparked rumors about the falling out of the two friends, which Nicole noted the situation was “much more complex.”
However, Kelce and Swift’s relationship is blooming beautifully in the public eye. During the recent AFC Championship Game, Kelce and Swift celebrated together on the field after the Chiefs won, where they shared a sweet moment.
Travis has seen one of the most successful NFL careers in history. With many achievements like his earned title of “greatest tight end in NFL history” and top tight end in AP Sports rankings, Kelce has marked his status as a legend in the world of football.
