Travis Kelce

Travis Michael Kelce is an American professional football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft, Kelce played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends in league history, he has won Super Bowls LIV, LVII, and LVIII with Kansas City.

Kelce was born on October 5, 1989, in Westlake, Ohio, to Ed Kelce, a former steel industry sales representative, and Donna Kelce, a former bank executive. He grew up alongside his older brother, Jason Kelce, who later played center for the Philadelphia Eagles. Kelce attended Cleveland Heights High School, where he was a three-year letter winner as quarterback for the football team while also playing basketball and baseball.

After high school, Kelce accepted a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. Following a redshirt year in 2008 and playing dual roles at quarterback and tight end in 2009, he missed the 2010 season due to a suspension for a marijuana violation. He returned as a full-time tight end, culminating in a senior season in 2012 where he recorded 45 receptions for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned first-team all-conference honors and was named the College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year before later completing his degree in 2022.

After being drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, Kelce missed almost his entire rookie year due to knee surgery. He returned in 2014 as Kansas City's leading receiver with 862 yards. In 2015, he recorded 72 receptions for 875 yards and five touchdowns, securing his first career Pro Bowl selection.

Following a five-year contract extension in 2016, Kelce led all NFL tight ends with 1,125 receiving yards and earned First-team All-Pro honors. He recorded 1,038 receiving yards in 2017 and 1,336 receiving yards with 10 touchdowns in 2018. During the 2019 season, he became the first tight end in NFL history to record four consecutive 1,000-receiving-yard seasons and helped lead the Chiefs to a victory in Super Bowl LIV.

Over his professional career, Kelce has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro teams, and he was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. He holds the NFL records for the most consecutive and total 1,000-receiving-yard seasons by a tight end with seven, as well as the single-season receiving yardage record for tight ends with 1,416 yards in 2020. He became the fastest tight end to reach 10,000 career receiving yards and surpassed Jerry Rice for the most career playoff receptions in NFL history.

Off the field, Kelce is a co-owner of Garage Beer and co-hosts the podcast New Heights with his brother Jason, which reached top podcast rankings in 2024. He has also made various television appearances, including starring in the 2016 dating show Catching Kelce and hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2023.