Donna Kelce will have to hand over that custom-sewn jersey that we all now recognize, the one made from the front panel of the jersey of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and the back panel of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce .
At least this time she’ll be able to see her sons in person.
For the first time in Super Bowl history, two brothers will face off on the NFL’s biggest stage. Travis helped the Chiefs return to the Ultimate Game for the third time in four years on Sunday, in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, while Jason will return for the second time in six years following the Eagles’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
“Rather ‘cool’ as a script, no? Asked Travis Kelce. My mother can’t lose. »
Or she can’t win.
There have been several great pairs of brothers who have faced each other in the NFL, many of whom have had memorable games, like Peyton and Eli Manning, or Tiki and Ronda Barber. But they never participated in the same Super Bowl and subjected their mother to this cruel treatment.
“It’ll be really great to play against him,” added Travis, whose team has outplayed Jason in their last three meetings. I have a lot of respect for everyone in the Eagles organization. You won’t hear me say bad things about them too much, because I love my brother so much. But it will be a match full of emotions, that’s for sure. »
Jason Kelce was even a Chiefs fan briefly on Sunday night, donning a Chiefs jersey for about three hours between the end of the Eagles’ 31-7 win and the Chiefs’ 23-20 win.
“That’s it for the rest of the year,” Jason said with a smile. It’s over being a Chiefs fan. »
He’ll leave that to mom and dad.
Although her partner, Ed, has kept a low profile over the years, Donna has been seen more often as she travels across America to see her sons perform. During the first round of the playoffs last year, she started the day in Tampa to watch the Eagles play the Buccaneers before hopping on a plane to Kansas City to arrive just in time for the Chiefs-Steelers duel.
Already two winners
Donna Kelce has seen each of her sons win the Super Bowl before: the Eagles beat the Patriots in Minneapolis in 2018 and the Chiefs came from behind to beat the 49ers in Miami two years ago.
However, she hasn’t seen them regularly this year: the way the playoff schedule was set up, it was impossible for her to see her two sons in person.
Both men have come a long way since growing up in a middle-class family in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Jason paved the way as a star offensive lineman, earning a scholarship from the University of Cincinnati. Travis followed. Both caught the eye of NFL scouts during their college careers; of one trainer in particular: Andy Reid.
He was the one who, while managing the Eagles, used a sixth-round pick to draft Jason in 2011. Two years later, after Reid moved to Kansas City, he made Travis his third-round pick. round.
“His big brother probably stopped Travis from doing some bullshit. He must have told her not to jump off a ladder into a pile of leaves once or twice, Reid said Monday. Both are very competitive, two passionate guys. They care about people and care about their sport. »
And they are also very talented.
Jason was selected for six Pro Bowls in addition to being named an all-star for the fifth time this season. He became one of the best offensive linemen in Eagles history. Travis has played in eight Pro Bowls, been a four-time All-Star selection and is second in NFL history behind Jerry Rice in catches, yards and touchdowns in playoff games.
And it’s not just football where they excel.
The two brothers have a podcast, New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, which gives listeners a sometimes chaotic perspective on the NFL season. The weekly program is recorded on Thursdays and lasts 60 to 90 minutes, in the same tone as if they were meeting in the basement of the family home.
“They have a great relationship,” Reid added. […] I have invested time in these two men, so I feel like they are part of the family. »