Jason Kelce Honors Brother in Emotional Retirement Speech, Shares Touching Moment with Travis Kelce

The Philadelphia Eagles iconic center star Jason Kelce bid a tearful goodbye to his active career in the NFL, the 36-year-old announced his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons in which he was nominated for six first teams All-Pro and won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. During his emotionally charged speech, the Eagles star player praised his younger brother Travis Kelce for his unwavering support. "We have a small family. It was really my brother and I, our whole lives. We did almost everything together, competed, fought, cried. We invented games, we won countless Super Bowls in our minds before we left the house." 

He continued, "I won't forget two years later, that same man [Ed] and my brother receiving a call when he got drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. This time we were both in tears." "There is no chance I would be here without the bond Travis and I shared," the older Kelce brother said. "I won't forget falling short of the Chiefs - the immense feeling of heartbreak I felt selfishly for myself and my teammates and at the same time the amount of pride I had for my brother," he shared while detailing the Eagles defeat with the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last year. As per The Daily Mail, as Jason delivered his final press conference following 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs star was seen sobbing while seated in the front row with their parents, Ed and Donna. 

He further described the beautiful bond he shared with his younger brother, "And when we weren't playing, we were at the other's one's games. Butt seated in a long chair or bench, a Capri Sun in our hands that mom had packed, cheering during the game and waiting outside and afterward to celebrate a victory together. Or offer encouragement after a defeat."  Kelce continued, "There is no chance I'd be here without the bond that Travis and I share. It made me stronger, tougher, smarter and taught me the values of cooperation, loyalty, and understanding." 

As per The Daily Mail, Beyond football, the Kelce brothers are still very close. They co-host the podcast New Heights, where they talk about their playing careers and each other's performances. At the Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics game on Saturday, a bobblehead giveaway was given out as a gesture to memorialize the Kelce brothers. Despite pursuing occupations elsewhere, the two siblings have always felt a connection to their homeland.

In the 2011 draft, the Eagles player was selected sixth overall from Cincinnati. After missing the majority of the 2012 season due to a partially torn MCL and ruptured ACL, he became an Iron Man and a mainstay of the offensive line. He went on to play 193 games in the Eagles' regular season, starting 156 of them.