Every time Travis Kelce slides on the No. 87 jersey for the Kansas City Chiefs, it is a homage to the moment that nearly ended his football career. #87 is to honor Jason’s birth year (1987), Travis explained to NFL Films, and said that he is “forever in debt” to his older brother for putting his own shot at playing in the NFL on the line to give Travis a second chance.
On the latest episode of the Youth Inc. podcast with former Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen, Jason opened up about the incident, explaining why being suspended for a year by the Cincinnati school worked out for Travis Kelce in his career in the long run. Olsen and Jason were discussing youth sports development and how early praise can derail young athletes. Jason pointed out that recruits often struggle when things go sideways and explained it with Travis’s example.
“Trav wasn’t a no-star [recruit]. He did get a scholarship, but he wasn’t a huge recruit, and he had a bunch of injuries in college, and that was kind of, he got kicked off the team. I tell people all the time, I think one of the best things that happened for Travis was to get suspended for a year with m——–, was him to get kicked off the team, was to have all these injuries because he had to work and develop all these things to overcome all of that.
“I think it’s really easy sometimes to look at those things as negatives, and they are in the moment, like it s—s, but ultimately it’s only a negative if you allow it to stop you,” Jason Kelce revealed.
Long before Travis became a star tight end, he was a dual-threat QB prospect at Cleveland Heights, racking up over 2,500 total yards as a senior. But he had to start over from square one after being kicked off the Cincinnati Bearcats’ roster during his sophomore year, when a failed drug test shifted his career trajectory.
The suspension came at a critical moment: just before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Travis was playing as a TE early in his Bearcats career, but even then he was doing so sparingly. He had just one reception for three yards as a freshman.
After failing the drug test, new Head Coach Butch Jones stripped his scholarship, revoked his campus housing, and dismissed him entirely. Suddenly cut off, Travis hit rock bottom as he searched for local classified ads for work. He took an outbound telemarketing job conducting healthcare surveys to pay basic living expenses, as his mother, Donna Kelce, had to secure personal loans for his textbooks. Big brother Jason let Travis crash in his college apartment rent-free for the time being.
Instead of staying down, Travis Kelce used this grounding experience to get back up and never look back. He rejoined the roster the following season, fully committing to the tight end position.
He made the Dean’s List and caught eight TDs during an explosive 2012 senior campaign. That redemption convinced Andy Reid and Kansas City to select him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
However, that resurgence wouldn’t have happened without Jason Kelce’s intervention. Ahead of 2011 spring ball, Jason walked straight into the coaches’ office to plead with HC Butch Jones and assistant Kerry Coombs. Fighting back tears, Jason personally guaranteed that his younger brother would change his ways.
Kerry Coombs remembered Jason insisting, “I’ve got this, and you’ve got to trust me on this.” Travis would later break down in tears when recounting the episode and admitted that Jason intervened “like he was Superman” when nobody was willing to “gamble.”
Coach Jones would eventually be willing to give Travis Kelce another chance but with some non-negotiables. Travis had to get at least a 3.0 GPA, miss zero team meetings, and live with his elder brother under constant supervision. With no scholarship, Travis had to work his way up through scout-reps to prove he belonged.
Now, 15 years, three Super Bowl wins, four-time First Team All-Pro selections, 11 Pro Bowl selections, 13,000+ receiving yards, 1,000+ receptions, and 80+ receiving TDs later, it’s safe to say that Travis Kelce has made good use of his brother’s belief in him!