During today’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, all eyes are on Taylor Swift as she sits in her luxury suite at Arrowhead Stadium. Well, she’s also joined by her parents, Scott and Andrea. Here’s everything you need to know about the couple that raised a global pop icon.
Who Are Taylor Swift’s Parents?
Swift was raised by her father and mother, Scott and Andrea Swift. The two parents are no longer together and were divorced 23 years into their marriage together.
Nevertheless, both remain squarely in their daughter’s life and are a source of inspiration for the singer in many of her songs.
Let’s do a deeper dive into each of the parents who shaped Taylor to be who she is today.
Scott Swift
Scott was born on March 5, 1952, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He played college football at Hawai’i and Delaware and is a known Philadelphia Eagles fan after growing up in Pennsylvania. With the Eagles advancing to Super Bowl 59, next week might be a bit awkward if Scott’s Eagles are matched up against the Chiefs.
However, since Taylor’s relationship with Kelce has gotten serious, it’s worth noting that Scott has changed his allegiance a bit and has been seen wearing Travis’ Chiefs jerseys at games. It’s possible he would root for Kelce and Co. over his Eagles in the Super Bowl.
As Taylor grew up and her career took off, it was Scott who took the responsibility of staying home and taking care of her brother Austin while Taylor and Andrea were on the road as she began to tour. Scott worked in the financial world as a stockbroker before becoming an advisor for Merrill Lynch.
Now, as their family grows, Scott has joined Taylor on tour far more frequently than he did in the past and has helped her along the way as she navigates life as a superstar.
Andrea Swift
Andrea was born on Jan. 10, 1958, in Pennsylvania, but spent time during her childhood in Singapore as well as Texas. She is well known for being around Taylor during her music career, helping in any way she can while on the road, and being a welcoming face for Swift fans around the world.
Before helping Taylor with her career, Andrea was a marketing manager at an advertising agency. It is a skill that she has used to help propel Taylor’s career to new heights.
Swift has been open about her close relationship with her mom in the past, including in her song “The Best Day,” which pays tribute to their bond, and in a 2020 interview with Variety.
“Everyone loves their mom; everyone’s got an important mom,” she said while her mom was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
“But for me, she’s really the guiding force. Almost every decision I make, I talk to her about it first. So obviously it was a really big deal to ever speak about her illness,” Swift added. Taylor opened up and shared her mom’s condition with her fans in 2019.
“I’m writing to you with an update I wish I wasn’t giving you, but it’s important and I’m used to sharing important events in my life with you,” Taylor began. “Usually when things happen to me, I process them and then write music about how I feel, and you hear it much later. This is something my family and I thought you should know about now.”
She went on to explain that during a routine check-up which she’d encouraged her mom to get, doctors discovered Andrea had cancer.
“I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know,” Taylor added. “She wanted you to know why she may not be at as many shows this tour. She’s got an important battle to fight.”
Chiefs vs. Bills Game Preview
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kanas City
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Streaming: CBS/Paramount+
Today, Swift’s parents are both sitting with her as the Kansas City
In the Super Bowl era, the Bills and Chiefs are the fifth pair of teams to face each other in the playoffs four times within a five-season span. The Chiefs could become the first team to play in the Super Bowl while seeking a Super Bowl three-peat.
The Bills lead the league in turnover margin this season, including the playoffs, at +27. Buffalo has maintained an even or positive turnover margin in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season, tying the 1952-53 Rams for the longest streak since turnovers became an official stat in 1933.
On the other side, the Chiefs have gone eight straight games without a turnover, the longest streak since turnovers became an official stat in 1933.
Josh Allen is one of the league’s best quarterbacks against the blitz. Including the playoffs, he averages the second-highest EPA(Expected Points Added) per dropback (0.30) when blitzed, with 16 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions.
However, the Chiefs excel at blitzing effectively. Including the playoffs, Kansas City blitzes at the ninth-highest rate in the league (30%) and ranks 10th in pressure rate (44%) when sending extra rushers.
The Bills have been one of the league’s best defenses on early downs this season, ranking fifth in EPA per play (0.08) on first and second down. However, their performance drops significantly on third down, where they rank 31st in EPA per play (-0.26) and have allowed the fifth-highest third-down conversion rate (44%).
That’s an ominous sign against a Chiefs offense that thrives on third downs. Kansas City ranks fourth in third down conversion rate (47.9%) and fourth in EPA per play (0.22) on third down. Conversely, they only rank 15th in EPA per play on first and second down (-0.02).
In two playoff games against the Chiefs, Allen has posted QB+ scores of 86.6 (B) in 2021 and 74.8 (C) in 2023. Meanwhile, Mahomes has earned QB+ scores of 86.9 (B) in 2021 and 79.0 (C+) in 2023 in two postseason games against the Bills.
Many fans (and Houston Texans players) were frustrated with the officiating in Kansas City’s Divisional Round win. Since 2018, the Chiefs have received nine roughing-the-passer calls in the playoffs (including the Will Anderson Jr. call on Saturday), while the rest of the NFL combined has totaled 18 such calls, with no other team receiving more than two.
Kansas City has now made seven consecutive Conference Championship appearances — only the New England Patriots had more in a row (eight from 2011-18) in NFL history.
PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Bills a 50.7% chance of winning this game while the Chiefs have 49.3% odds, showing just how close this game should be.
