Jason Kelce dedicated his entire 13-year career to the Eagles after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Reflecting on his journey, he expressed, “I’m glad I could contribute and achieve great things.”

Kelce spent his entire 13-year career with the Eagles after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Having started every game for the Eagles since 2015, Kelce was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro in six of the last seven seasons.He is also a Super Bowl champion, having won the 2017 title with the Birds, and was a member of 2023’s NFC Champion squad.

Prior to his NFL career, Kelce’s football journey made a stop in Cincinnati, where Jason and his brother Travis played for the University of Cincinnati BearcatsA former walk-on, Kelce made the switch to offensive line after taking a redshirt season in his first year in college.Once he got on the field for the Bearcats, the Cleveland Heights, Ohio native made an immediate impact on UC’s line.Kelce twice earned second-team All-Big East honors in 2009 and 2010, with the latter year including a position change from left guard to center.

Speaking at the press conference on Monday, Kelce reflected on his time spent with the Bearcats and how the experience molded his NFL journey.”I had no stars, no investment from the team or the coaches; I had to earn everything, which was good because I had no clue what hard work was until that point,” Kelce said.,Speaking about his coaches at UC during an emotional speech Monday, Kelce credited them with making his college football experience an enjoyable one.

“You made my time there something I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Kelce said of his coaches at UC.UC Football gave their appreciation for Kelce following Monday’s announcement, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption “One of the best to ever do it.”Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.As good as he’s been on the field, Kelce has become even more prominent off of it in recent years, following the launch of the New Heights podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

UC Football extends beyond just Jason and Travis in the Kelce family, however.At last month’s Super Bowl, Jason’s wife Kylie Kelce was spotted wearing a Bearcats sweatshirt at Super Bowl LVIII.Kylie Kelce was spotted wearing the University of Cincinnati swag in multiple photos snapped from a box at the stadium, attended by the Kelce family as well as Taylor Swift and other notable celebrities.