Getty Image
Offensive linemen aren’t supposed to be superstars. Especially offensive linemen who aren’t even playing in the NFL anymore.
But Jason Kelce breaks the mold, and he’s still learning how to handle that.
Kelce, a surefire Pro Football Hall of Famer, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years due in part to his relationship to his brother Travis, who is currently dating the world’s most famous person (read: Taylor Swift). But he’s also done because of a personality that his somehow larger than the massive human beings he used to line up with on the field.
Kelce adapted to that newfound level of fame pretty seamlessly, and Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer found out how.
A round of golf with Jason Kelce and his fans — and what it revealed about his growing fame https://t.co/4fFOTTK2tF
— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) July 19, 2024
“It’s chaos,” Kelce told Mizell at last weekend’s American Century Championship celebrity gold event. “But definitely something that it’s not like it’s all at once, like, ‘What’s happening?’ … It was kind of a perfect storm of all of this.”
Kelce won the long drive event at the tournament. Travis then went on to win the event’s karaoke contest later that night, showing exactly why the brothers have taken the world by storm.
But the fervor over Kelce isn’t just about his relationship with Travis (and, in turn, Swift). And it doesn’t just stop at fans.
Basketball Hall of Famer turned television superstar Charles Barkley also made it a point to meet Kelce, and he came away with a glowing first impression.
“I had heard nothing but great things about him, and everything they said was true,” Barkley told The Inquirer. “I’m glad he’s here. He’s a Philadelphia legend, [which is] well-deserved, and I just hope he has fun.”
Jason and Travis played alongside WWE superstar and fellow Clevelander The Miz on Friday. He, too, vouched for the authenticity of Kelce.
“I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun in a golf game,” The Miz said. “… In four hours, you can see the cracks, there’s no cracks in the Kelce brothers.”
That authenticity seems to be the lynchpin of their fame. Particularly with Jason. He’s not fist-bumping and slamming beers with fans and saying hello to children to increase his popularity. He’s doing it because that’s what he wants to do.
It’s relatable. It’s charming. And it’s part of why the Kelce brothers have taken over the football world in seemingly record speed.