UPDATED 3:14 P.M.
(Reuters) – Philadelphia Eagles centre Jason Kelce announced his retirement on Monday after a 13-year National Football League career during which he established himself as one of the best at his position and endeared himself to the team’s fanbase.
Kelce, the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, won a Super Bowl in February 2018, earned seven Pro Bowl selections and was named a first-team All Pro six times in an NFL career spent entirely with the Eagles.
“I have been the underdog my entire career and — I mean this when I say it — I wish I still was. Few things gave me more joy than proving someone wrong,” an emotional Kelce, 36, said during his retirement news conference in which Travis was among those in attendance.
“My mother used to tell people and still says to this day, ‘If you want Jason to do something, all you have to do is tell him he can’t,’ and that was true in more ways than I care to admit. I relish doubters; they fuel the fire within.”
Kelce, selected by Philadelphia in the sixth and penultimate round of the 2011 NFL Draft, owns the Eagles franchise records for consecutive starts (156) and most regular season games played by an offensive lineman (193).
During his career, Kelce became one of Philadelphia’s most beloved athletes, a fan favorite at a position that does not typically produce fan favorites.
In the Super Bowl championship parade that followed the Eagles’ upset win over the New England Patriots, Kelce whipped the crowd into a frenzy with an impassioned speech about his team’s underdog story that resonated across the city.
“For the millions of fans who never had the privilege of meeting Jason, he had such a deep understanding and genuine appreciation for what was important to them,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
“Nothing exemplified that better than his Super Bowl parade speech that brought to the surface the emotions that so many of us had been holding inside for years.
“Today is a bittersweet day, because it is hard to imagine the Eagles taking the field without Jason Kelce in uniform.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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(Field Level Media via Reuters) – A tearful Jason Kelce announced his retirement Monday after 13 seasons as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection started 205 games for the Eagles, including the postseason.
Drafted in the sixth round (191st overall) in 2011, Kelce became a Super Bowl LII champion and one of the most durable, decorated and respected centers in NFL history — and one of the league’s most passionate players.
He had trouble holding back those emotions from the outset of Monday’s press conference in Philadelphia.
“Not a good start,” said Kelce, who repeatedly fought through tears during a speech that lasted 45 minutes.
“I’ve been asked many times why did I choose football — what drew me to the game — and I never have an answer that gets it right,” Kelce said. “The best way I could explain it is what draws you to your favorite song … your favorite book. It’s what it makes you feel. The seriousness of it. The intensity of it.
“Stepping on the field was the most alive and free I had ever felt. There was a visceral feeling with football, unlike any sport. The hairs on my arms would stand up. I could hit somebody, run around like a crazed lunatic and then get told, ‘Good job.’ I love football.”
Kelce had not missed a start since Week 8 of the 2014 season, a franchise-record streak of 156 consecutive regular season games. His 193 career regular season starts rank second in Eagles history behind longtime teammate and defensive end Brandon Graham (195).
Kelce blocked for NFL rushing champion LeSean McCoy in 2013. More recently, he was a driving force for the wildly successful “tush push” with quarterback Jalen Hurts in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He played for head coaches Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni.
“It has always been a goal of mine to play my whole career in one city,” Kelce said. “I couldn’t have dreamt a better one if I tried.”
The other four centers in NFL history with at least six All-Pro selections are all in the Hall of Fame: Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermontti Dawson and Jim Ringo.
Kelce, 36, is the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.
The siblings have a popular podcast and a broadcasting career is a potential next step for Jason Kelce. “Multiple” networks courted him ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.
–Field Level Media
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