BYU WR Won’t Say No to Football Play That Might Have Forced Jason Kelce’s Retirement

“It sucks because of the exertion,” Jason Kelce said about the Eagles’ famous ‘Tush Push’ earlier this year. He was at the center of the play’s success for years. And though he understood it looked unsafe, he wasn’t ready to accept the injury narrative until it was backed by stats. It’s because most injuries he faced during his time in the league were from two types of plays: high-impact collisions and when players stack up on one another—things that don’t happen in ‘Tush Push’, as shared by Kelce himself. 

If anything, the ‘Brotherly Shove’ causes great physical exertion, but a BYU wide receiver seems fine with it. He understands how intimidating it is. On August 17, wideout Reggie Frischknecht pulled up to the CougConnect podcast and got asked the million-dollar question: Co-host Kevin questioned if he would risk it all for the play that made Jason Kelce dislike being at center?

Host Jake Brandon was quick to point out: “Dude, it’s physical. Your center is going to hate his life.” However, Kevin mentioned that “analytically you can guarantee two and a half yards every single play.” Then Brandon interjected by pointing out the most famous center to ever do it. “That’s what’s Jason Kelce was all about, right? It’s like the most successful play in college football or in any football.”

And so, Kevin went on to speculate, “Well, they adopted the tush push, and he was, did it for a year or two, and he was, he retired so fast. I wonder why,” hinting that the play added to the overall toll and exertion for Kelce. However, Frischknecht seemed fine running that play. He said: “That’s true. I think if we did a wing T with Keanu, Kirkland, and then just put LJ back there, we’d win every game.”

Here’s the thing: the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t just dabble in the ‘Brotherly Shove’. They became its cartel. Since 2022, the team has run 124 tush pushes for 106 first downs, including 33 touchdowns for an 85.5% conversion rate! And Kelce was at the heart of it all until he retired in March 2024. His body felt the strain, and he expressed how difficult it was for centers.

That’s the irony. The play is almost unstoppable. And while Kelce joked about how he would come out of retirement to do it all over again, his weariness cannot be missed. Sure, BYU may have the weapons to pull this off, but would they really go for it? The NFL recently received a proposal to ban the play. Player safety and pace of play were the concerns. Ultimately, it wasn’t banned, but college football is different.

The play’s popularity depends on who’s running the sideline and whether they have got the bodies for it. Back in 2023, Oregon State used the play to get past Utah. Additionally, Penn State Football also borrowed the tactic in 2023. Do you think BYU will do it too?