What would you do in the weeks after winning your championship-deprived city a Super Bowl? Head to the Bahamas and lounge on a beach? Buy a condo and some flashy cars in Miami?
Just two weeks ago, on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce delivered the inspirational speech of a lifetime about underdog life. This week, in Philadelphia, he reunite with your high school jazz band for a little impromptu jam session.
Before Jason Kelce had a career in the NFL, he played baritone sax at Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio. The high school’s jazz band recently took a trip to Philadelphia, where #62 greeted his old band director at Central High. He even sat in with the band!
“Before I was a Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champ, I was a Cleveland Heights Tiger,” said Kelce. Jason Kelce, class of 2006, played baritone sax in high school. “I played in the jazz band and the symphonic winds ensemble, and music was a big part of my life,” he said.
So… How’d he do? He’s no Gerry Mulligan, but not bad!
Kelce borrowed a sax and sat-in with both the Cleveland Heights and Central bands. He sat next to Central sophomore Fiona Jacobs.
“He sounded pretty good. He was jumping in and out of the pieces but they’re hard pieces. But he was good,” said Fiona.
Kelce admitted his sightreading skills were a little rusty. “Oh, not as good as they used to be, for sure. That was a lot of fun, but very humbling to say the least,” said Kelce.
As a former high school saxophonist and Eagles fan, I’m not sure if there’s room in my heart to love someone even more than I love Jason Kelce… And it keeps getting better!
This Sunday, the grizzly, 295-pound center will play sax in his ridiculous Mummers outfit during the Mummers Mardi Gras Parade along Main Street in Philadelphia’ Manayunk. That’s going to be a sight to behold.
In other news: I need all sorts of YouTube videos of Jason Kelce solo-riffing on bari-sax to get me through the next couple football-less months. That’s #content gold.