Growing up in Cleveland Heights, Jason Kelce was always the intense, reliable, and adaptable leader that any team would want. But when searching for a college, those very abilities became his hurdles. You see, as a high schooler, he played at linebacker, running back, and even quarterback. He was “a tweener,” as former Cleveland Heights High School football coach Mike Jones called it.

While he knew he wouldn’t get the best of opportunities in the beginning, Jason chose to be a walk-on Bearcat. One year in, and a decision that started as an experiment changed the trajectory of his life. Sixteen years down the road, the University of Cincinnati is honoring that very decision and the football legend that it produced.

On Thursday, the Bearcats announced that Jason Kelce will be inducted into the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame as part of this year’s 50th anniversary class.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is set to be honored at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 23, inside Fifth Third Arena. The timing is special as it will be taking place one day before Cincinnati hosts Texas Tech in its 100th Homecoming football game.

According to the school’s website, season ticket holders, UCATS members and C-Club members receive an email Monday morning at 10 am to purchase the tickets at just $25 during the exclusive window. General public can purchase their tickers on Monday August 24 at 10 a.m. for $35 apiece. UC noted that seating for the induction ceremony will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 6 p.m. onwards.

The former Philadelphia Eagles center is the final member of the 50th Anniversary Class of 2026 and with Cincinnati remembering him for various reasons — for better or worse — this decision makes sense.

When he entered Cincinnati, Kelce was a burly, bushy-haired local star from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. However, in UC, things weren’t working for him from the get-go. He started as a redshirt linebacker and won the Bearcats’ Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year. What really helped him was Brian Kelly coming into the picture.

In 2007, Kelly replaced Mark Dantonio as the head coach and changed a few schemes. One, very specifically, helped Jason Kelce’s case.

Kelly wanted a quick offensive lineman to run his spread scheme. Jason, having played multiple positions, would be the perfect choice for the experiement. So, his strength coach Paul Longo suggested him to become the center. Kelce was skeptical.

“What is this guy talking about?,” Kelce thought.

He tried anyway. And try he did!

Jason Kelce protected his quarterback and much more

Kelce kept putting in the work and kept improving on the field. By 2008, he was the starting left guard. But with every good side of his came a side that his teammates wouldn’t exactly call the best.

At one practice, when the offense could not correctly execute a play they had ran three consecutive times, Kelce lost his patience. He took his helmet off and threw it into the 43rd row of the bleachers.

“Get your stuff together,” he yelled at everyone on the field, teammates and coaches included.

“You don’t see that kind of leadership very often. You would be afraid of him,” Kerry Coombs, a Cincinnati assistant coach told The Washington Post in 2023.

At another practice, after scuffling, he ripped the helmet of his defensive teammate and, again, threw it into the bleachers to surprise even his own quarterback.

“I’ve never seen a helmet be thrown further,” said Tony Pike, the Bearcats’ 2009 starting quarterback. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’m glad that guy’s blocking for me.’”

Fighting with his teammates and for his teammates was nothing new for Kelce. But, at the end of the day, that proved helpful for the Bearcats.

He led UC to back-to-back conference championships and the 2008 Orange Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl. Then, moving to the NFL as the sixth-round pick of the 2011 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, he used that very intensity to become a Super Bowl champ and a legend of the game. But what many would still remember is the carefree, beer-chugging guy who would find humor in everything.

Jason Kelce was a showman off the field

Kelce was a serious player on the field. But once you got him into his Hawaiian shirt off the field, you met a very different person. Former Denver Broncos DL, Derek Wolfe, knows it all too well.

Back in 2007, Wolfe was visiting UC with his fellow quarterback recruit and fast friend Travis Kelce. Yep, Jason’s brother Travis.

As the two hung out at a campus fair, Jason approached the two with a giant beer mug in his hand. His unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt showed off the belly of an offensive lineman. That was Wolfe’s introduction to the Kelce brothers who would end up dominating the NFL world. That was simply Jason’s style.

He would roam into house parties in sweatshirt and flip-flops, drinking beer, playing whatever instrument he was playing that month, and making jokes. That was what he was known for: his wry sense of humor.

When the Bearcats would review films over the weekends, he would make his captain rewind tapes, pretending to have a question. But when the film would play again, he would point out a teammate who had tripped or fallen to make everyone laugh.

Remember him watching his brother play against Buffalo Bills in freezing temperatures and ripping his shirt off in his suite as he chugged beer? Or him partying with the Phillie Phanatic as he pounded a beer to welcome the Eagles in a postseason game? Jason Kelce and his energy never changed.
And that’s why when the news broke of UC honoring him, his fans could not help but celebrate the legend.

Fans shared their thoughts as Jason Kelce hits a new milestone

There is no doubt that one of the best centers to ever play in the NFL will be one day inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But until then, the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame only reminds us of how an overlooked player changed his fate. And that’s why his fans are celebrating him.

“walk on to hall of fame is such a specific kind of glow up, love that they still track that lineage,” commented a fan.

While some celebrated Kelce’s success, a fan celebrated Kelce joining his Cincinnati and Philadelphia teammate Connor Barwin.

“@JasonKelce and  @ConnorBarwin98 entering together . #BearcatFamily #BearcatsForLife it couldn’t be any other way,” read the comment.

Through this, Kelce will be part of a noble cause. Proceeds from all ticket sales will be directed to Cincinnati Athletics’ Impact Fund. It prompted one fan to comment, “There we go!!”

Regarded as one of the best centers in NFL history, Kelce already holds the Eagles’ mark for consecutive regular-season starts at 156. He is also tied for the franchise lead in All-Pro selections with six, alongside Hall of Famers Reggie White and Chuck Bednarik.

“🐐” a fan commented with a GOAT emoji, viewing Kelce as the absolute best. 

“Love to see it,” wrote another fan excited about the player’s recognition for on-field talents. 

Jason Kelce’s story is a true example of how your luck can change if you put in the hard work and trust everyone around you. That’s the very reason why he had just one wish when he retired from the NFL two years ago:

“I have been the underdog my entire career,” he said. “And I mean this when I say it, I still wish I was.”