 Kelce with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 | |||||||||
| No. 62 | |||||||||
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| Position | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1987-11-05)November 5, 1987 (age 38) Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 306 lb (139 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Cleveland Heights | ||||||||
| College | Cincinnati (2006–2010) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2011: 6th round, 191st overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Jason Daniel Kelce (/ˈkɛlsi/ ⓘKEL-see;[1] born November 5, 1987) is an American former professionalfootballcenter who spent his entire 13-year career with thePhiladelphia Eagles of theNational Football League (NFL). Kelce playedcollege football for theCincinnati Bearcats and was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the2011 NFL draft. He wonSuper Bowl LII, was a seven-timePro Bowl selection, and six-time first-teamAll-Pro selection. Kelce is often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history.[2][3][4]
Outside of football, Kelce and his brother,Travis, co-host the podcastNew Heights, on which they discuss their playing careers and various other topics. In November 2024,Apple announced thatNew Heights was the 8th most popular podcast show onApple Podcasts in 2024.
In 2024, Kelce joinedESPN'sMonday Night Countdown pregame crew.
Kelce was born and grew up inCleveland Heights, Ohio, the son of Ed Kelce, a sales representative in the steel business, andDonna (née Blalock), who works in banking. He is the older brother ofTravis Kelce, a tight end for theKansas City Chiefs. In their January 2025 podcast, the Kelce brothers revealed theirCroatian background;[5] both their maternal great-grandmother and grandmother were born to parents of Croatian descent.[6]
Jason attendedCleveland Heights High School, where he played both running back and linebacker and was twice namedAll-Lake Erie League.[7] At Cleveland Heights, he playedbaritone saxophone in the symphonic and jazz bands.[8] Kelce also played hockey and lacrosse in high school.[9][10]
A former walk-onrunning back, Kelce switched tofullback and then finally to offensive line afterredshirting his initial year at theUniversity of Cincinnati (UC),[11] seeing action at center andguard in nine games in 2007 as theBearcats went 10–3 and defeatedSouthern Mississippi 31–21 in thePapaJohns.com Bowl.[12][13]
As a sophomore in 2008, he made 13 starts at left guard, as part of an offensive line that also included future NFL linemenJeff Linkenbach andTrevor Canfield, which helped the UC offense average 27.3 points and 375.3 yards of total offense per game. The Bearcats went 11–3 overall, wereBig East Conference champions, and played in theFedEx Orange Bowl, where the Bearcats fell toVirginia Tech 20–7.[14][15] In 2008, his brother, Travis, began playing alongside him at Cincinnati.[16]
In 2009, Kelce earned second-team All-Big East honors after starting 13 games at left guard as the Bearcats went undefeated in the regular season (12–0) and were again Big East Champions, once again earning aBCS Bowl berth, losing toFlorida 51–24 in theAllstate Sugar Bowl.[17][18]
He was moved to center for his senior season in 2010 as the Bearcats went 4–8 under new coachButch Jones.[19][20] He started the final 38 games of his 47-game Bearcats career, 26 at left guard and 12 at center.[7] He was named Honorable MentionAll-America and second-team All-Big East.
Despite lacking true NFL size, Kelce was projected a fourth round pick.[21] He ran the fastest40-yard dash time of all offensive linemen at the 2011NFL Scouting Combine, with a 4.89-second time.[22] On March 11, 2011, Kelce had anappendectomy after he was diagnosed withappendicitis.[23]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) | 280 lb (127 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.89 s | 1.70 s | 2.83 s | 4.14 s | 7.22 s | 30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | ||
| All values from 2011NFL Scouting Combine[24] | ||||||||||||
Kelce was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the sixth round (191st overall) of the2011 NFL draft.[25] Kelce was unable to practice or sign a contract until theNFL lockout was lifted on July 25, 2011. He signed a four-year contract on July 27.[26] New offensive line coachHoward Mudd envisioned Kelce as in the mold ofIndianapolis Colts five-timePro Bowl centerJeff Saturday, whom Mudd coached in Indianapolis for 11 seasons.[27] First-round pick and fellow rookieDanny Watkins compared Kelce to a hedgehog due to his spiky hair and facial hair, in addition to his quickness and stoutness.[28] Kelce battled incumbent starterJamaal Jackson for the center job early in training camp in August.[29] Kelce received all of the first-team reps in the week before the team's third preseason game.[30] He started in the third preseason game against theCleveland Browns, and allowed a sack and was penalized for holding.[31] Kelce was named the starter for the season on August 29.[32] He became the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 games at center.[33]
In 2012, Kelce was named the starting center for the second consecutive year. On September 16, he suffered a partially tornMCL and atorn ACL in a win over theBaltimore Ravens. Kelce would miss the rest of the 2012 season.[34] In the 2013 season, Kelce started all 16 games. The Eagles reached the playoffs, and set team season records of 442 points and 6,676 yards. He led the way for the NFL's leading rusher,LeSean McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards. Kelce was graded byPro Football Focus (PFF) as the best center in the NFL for the season.[35] He was also honored with theEd Block Courage Award.[33]
On February 27, 2014, Kelce agreed to a six-year, $37.5 million contract extension, with $13 million guaranteed, according to agent Jason Bernstein.[36] On September 23, Kelce underwent surgery for a sports hernia and missed four games.[7] Despite missing time, he was selected to his first Pro Bowl.[37] He followed his 2014 Pro Bowl campaign by starting in all 16 games in 2015. He was graded by PFF as the 7th-ranked center in the NFL.[38] The next season, he started in all 16 games and was selected to his second Pro Bowl.[39][40]
In 2017, Kelce started in all 16 games and had his best season as a professional. He was selected as a First-teamAll-Pro and was the highest rated offensive lineman by PFF. He also won Run Blocker of the Year by PFF.[41] He wonSuper Bowl LII with the Eagles, defeating theNew England Patriots 41–33.[42] During the Eagles' Super Bowl parade on February 8, 2018, Kelce garnered national attention after giving an impassioned speech where he defended his teammates, coaches, and front office and compared Eagles fans to hungry dogs who "for 52 years have been starved of this championship,"[43] while dressed as amummer. In 2018, Kelce was given his second First-team All-Pro honor.
On March 2, 2019, Kelce signed a one-year contract extension with the Eagles through the 2021 season.[44] During the 2019 season, Kelce was elected to his third Pro Bowl and received his third straight First-team All-Pro Honor. In 2020, Kelce started his 100th straight game with the Eagles. The offensive line saw a franchise-record 14 different starting combinations, but Kelce was the lone man to start every game. He was elected to his 4th Pro Bowl, and was one of the eight finalists for theArt Rooney Award in 2020.[45]
On March 5, 2021, Kelce signed a new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.[46][47] He was placed on the COVID list on January 3, 2022, and activated four days later, allowing him to keep his consecutive starts streak alive.[48][49] He went in for the team's first offensive snap then was benched for the rest of the game. In 2021, Kelce was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl, marking his third straight selection, and was the Eagles finalist for theWalter Payton Man of the Year Award.[50] He was also named a first-team All-Pro by theAssociated Press for the fourth time in his career.[51] He was ranked 71st by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[52] On March 11, 2022, after mulling retirement before the 2022 offseason, Kelce signed a new one-year deal with the Eagles worth $14 million, which made him the highest paid center in the NFL.[53] Kelce earned Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro honors for the 2022 season.[54][55]
Kelce appeared in his second Super Bowl withSuper Bowl LVII against theKansas City Chiefs. Kelce's brother, Travis, played for the Chiefs, making it the first Super Bowl to feature two brothers on opposing teams as players.[56] The Eagles would lose the game 38–35.[57] After considering retirement, Kelce re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year contract on March 15, 2023.[58] In Week 6, Kelce broke the Eagles record for most consecutive starts that was previously held byJon Runyan. He received his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection and First Team All-Pro honors that year as well.[59] Kelce ended the season starting all 17 regular season games as the Eagles finished with a record of 11–6 and earned a playoff berth. He and the Eagles ended their season with a 32–9 loss to theTampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card playoff game.[60]
Kelce announced his retirement on March 4, 2024.[61] During his career, Kelce was named to seven total Pro Bowls and six first-team All Pros, making him one of the most decorated offensive linemen in NFL history. All six of his All-Pro selections were accomplished in his 30s, giving him the most All-Pro selections of any player in their 30s. He is one of just two centers in league history to make both the Pro Bowl and be named an All-Pro in three consecutive seasons along withDwight Stephenson of theMiami Dolphins.[2]
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Along with then-teammateBeau Allen, Kelce appeared in theSuper Bowl LII-themed two-part episodes ofIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "Charlie's Home Alone" and "The Gang Wins the Big Game" asCharlie Kelly's blood-loss hallucination.[62] On March 4, 2023, Jason appeared onSaturday Night Live (SNL) when Travis was that episode's host, and appeared as both an audience member with his parents and in a sketch with his brother andSNL cast membersHeidi Gardner andChloe Fineman.[63][64]
In September 2022, Kelce and his brother, Travis, launched a weeklypodcast calledNew Heights. In the podcast, they discuss the NFL as well as each other's games. The show also features occasional guest stars.[65][66]
During the 2022 NFL season, Philadelphia-based studio 9.14 Pictures filmed and produced the feature-length documentaryKelce, examining Kelce's football career and private life. The documentary was released onAmazon Prime Video on September 11, 2023.[67] Within 24 hours of its release,Kelce became the No. 1 most watched movie on Prime Video in the United States.[68] On November 9, 2023, Kelce joinedAl Michaels andKirk Herbstreit in the commentary booth during the live broadcast of the Week 10 NFL game between theChicago Bears and theCarolina Panthers onThursday Night Football, broadcast on Prime Video.[69]
Along with Eagles teammatesLane Johnson andJordan Mailata, Kelce formed the vocal groupThe Philly Specials and collaborated on theChristmas albumA Philly Special Christmas, which was released in December 2022.[70] A sequel,A Philly Special Christmas Special, was released in December 2023.[71] A third and final album,A Philly Special Christmas Party, was released in December 2024.[72]
On April 6, 2024, Kelce and former Eagles teammate Lane Johnson (wearingLuchador masks) participated inWrestleMania XL, helpingRey Mysterio andAndrade win their match. The event was held in Philadelphia atLincoln Financial Field.[73]
On April 29, 2024, it was announced that Kelce would join ESPN'sMonday Night Countdown.[74]
On November 21, 2024, while a guest onJimmy Kimmel Live!, Kelce announced he will host alate-night sports talk show on ESPN calledThey Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce. The show debuted on January 4, 2025.[75]
Kelce is the elder son of Ed and Donna Kelce and brother of Chiefs tight endTravis Kelce.[76] Ed Kelce was a sales representative in the steel business. Donna Kelce has a master's degree, and has worked in banking at Mastercard, and then with banks building housing for the less fortunate using low-income tax credits.[10] Donna Kelce is known for attending both of her sons' games and is often seen wearing a two-sided jersey featuring both of their numbers. She traveled fromTampa toKansas City to attend both of her sons' Wild Card round games on January 16, 2022.[77]
Kelce met his wife,Kylie McDevitt, onTinder.[78] They were married on April 14, 2018. They have four daughters, born in October 2019, March 2021, February 2023, and March 2025. Kylie was 38 weeks pregnant with their third child at the time of Super Bowl LVII.[79][80][81][82]
In 2023, Kelce was a finalist inPeople's "Sexiest Man Alive" list.[83]
During the 2021 offseason, Travis Kelce said their immediate family pronounces their last name/ˈkɛlsi/KEL-see because that is the way their father pronounces it, although the rest of the paternal side of the family pronounces it/kɛls/KELSS.[84] Jason elaborated that their father "at some point ... got tired of correcting everyone calling him 'Kell-see.' ... And now I think we're both at the point where we're riding with Ed 'Kell-see.'"[85]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kelce | Self | [86] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Self | [87] | |
| 2023 | Saturday Night Live | [88] | ||
| 2024 | Abbott Elementary | [89] | ||
| 2024 | Jeopardy! | Clue giver | [90][91] | |
| 2024 | Jeopardy! Masters | [92] | ||
| 2024 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | [93] | ||
| 2025 | They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce | [94] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)I say /ˈkɛlsi/ because that's what my father says.
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