Chiefs star Travis Kelce, once seen as a major liability to his character, is entering his 12th season in the NFL. He has now taken on a leadership role in the Chiefs locker room.
Chiefs rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia recently praised the tight end for taking him “under his wing.”
Running back Clyde-Edwards Helaire credits Kelce with helping him with his PTSD, six years after an 18-year-old was shot and killed while allegedly trying to rob the former and his then-college teammate at gunpoint (police have never said who fired the fatal shot).
And even Harrison Butker, who was widely criticized after a controversial graduation speech in which he called Pride month an example of “deadly sin,” felt protected by the muscular tight end afterward.
“I can’t say I agree with most of it, or almost all of it, except that he loves his family and his children,” Kelce said on his New Heights podcast, before adding, “I don’t think I should judge him on his views, particularly his religious views, on how to go through life. That’s just not who I am.”
Travis Kelce helped running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire deal with his PTSD
Kelce said he ‘cherished’ Harrison Butker as a teammate after his controversial comments
After being viewed as an arrogant, immature prospect when he was drafted 11 years ago, Kelce has blossomed into the league’s best tight end and a mature voice for the two-time reigning champion Chiefs.
The chances of the 34-year-old taking on a mentoring role are even smaller given the reputation with which he entered the competition.
Kelce was suspended for his sophomore season at the University of Cincinnati after partying too much and failing a drug test.
He later told the Bussin’ with the boys podcast that it was his brother (and college teammate) Jason who begged their coaches to let him back on the team.
“He went to the coach’s office and talked to different coaches to try to give me another chance,” he recalled years later.
“I am eternally grateful to this man for putting his name, our name – the Kelce name – on the line.
Ultimately, Kelce made his second chance count, as he racked up 722 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his final season.
Kelce was suspended for a year at Cincinnati before finishing his senior year strong
Kelce has credited Chiefs coach Andy Reid for allowing him to focus on football
But his future coach Reid still wasn’t entirely convinced he should use a third-round pick on him.
Instead of the usual ceremonial Draft Day call, Reid questioned Kelce and even asked Jason (whom he had coached in Philadelphia) for his opinion.
In Kelce’s story about him and Jason’s New Heights PodcastKelce said Reid bluntly asked him, “Are you going to blow this, man?”
Kelce was then asked to pass the phone to his brother, who vouched for him before Reid ultimately placed his 63rd pick on him.
But even in the NFL, Kelce’s unprofessional reputation persisted in the early days, as he sat out his first season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee.
“I was late to meetings, I stayed too long throughout the week, I wasn’t focused, and I wasn’t showing my coaches that I was giving it my all,” he said via ESPN.
“I learned that you can show your personality and have fun, but you also have to be accountable to the guy next to you and you can handle the highs and lows of the game,” he continued. “Now, football is the only place in my life where I’m really detailed and professional. When I think about football, I’m focused. I can lock in, really compartmentalize. That’s because of Coach Reid.”
Patrick Mahomes, a friend of Kelce’s and quarterback, also described Reid as a positive influence for the tight end.
Kelce can still have a bad temper at times, as he showed when he yelled at Reid during the Super Bowl
“He has a good sense of how to motivate Travis when he needs to, but at the same time he lets Travis be himself,” Mahomes said.
While Kelce still has his share of angry outbursts — he punched teammate Jack Cochrane during training camp last year and even shoved Reid in the last Super Bowl — he’s managed to channel that passion and energy into productive ways.
Mahomes complimented Kelce’s dedication in practice this week, saying he’s setting an example for other players. The departing pass-catcher has also shown a softer side in guiding his teammates.
Edwards-Helaire is apparently still reeling from the trauma of the attempted robbery (and subsequent gunshot death) six years later. He said Kelce kept an eye on him as a teammate.
“It’s just not being there mentally. And it’s one of those things where in the beginning, like guys who are paying attention, Trav, Kadarius [Toney] sometimes they can even – they know it in advance [that he’s struggling]’, he said.
Suamataia even described Kelce as an “older brother” as the former BYU player navigates the pros.
“He kind of took me under his wing when I first came here. It’s really nice to have him, that role model.”
There was perhaps no better example of Kelce’s role as a team leader than the way he handled Butker’s comments.
Chiefs rookie offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia said Kelce has taken him ‘under his wing’
The protest was sparked by his speech at Benedictine College, in which he stated that the female graduates present were particularly looking forward to becoming housewives. These remarks were, however, strongly criticized.
Kelce also disagreed with those comments, but he addressed them thoughtfully on his podcast. He knew he and Butker would be sharing the same locker room again next season and that some level of harmony had to be maintained.
Maybe they can’t pull off a historic three-peat. Maybe father time finally comes for Kelce, or Butker’s field goal percentage drops.
What is clear now is that Kelce has emerged as a major voice in Kansas City.
And that’s something that would have been shocking early in his career.