Travis Kelce has been tearing up defenses on the Kansas City Chiefs for years. Now, he’s even considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, tight ends of all time.
However, Kelce wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for head coach Andy Reid’s development and his decision to pick him in the NFL Draft. What is the story of how Kelce was drafted into the NFL?
How Was Travis Kelce Drafted?
Reid opened up about Kelce’s draft process on Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, which he hosts alongside his brother Jason Kelce. The three spoke about how Travis’ time in Kansas City came to be ahead of Super Bowl 57 when the brothers faced each other.
Travis was taken in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft with the 63rd overall pick. Since then, he’s won three Super Bowls and been named a four-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro, and nine-time Pro Bowler. He was also named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
He has played in 159 games, starting 108 of them. He has 907 career receptions for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns. He might be better in the playoffs, though. In the postseason, Kelce has caught 165 passes for 1,903 yards and 19 touchdowns in 22 games.
The story behind Andy Reid drafting both Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce:
Travis Kelce was the 63rd overall pick (3rd round) in the 2013 draft.
There were 4 Tight Ends drafted before him:
Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar, and Vance McDonald.
Andy Reid says Travis Kelce was… pic.twitter.com/sp25UPIc5L
— Cooper McCoy (@CooperMcCoyRE) February 16, 2024
Kelce played at the University of Cincinnati in college, where Reid spotted him. “My son kept telling me, ‘This tight end is unbelievable,'” Reid said. “I come over to the locker room … he comes beat-bopping out and gives me the business like we’re long lost friends.”
Kelce played 35 games in college over five seasons, redshirting one year and being suspended for another. He caught 59 passes for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns. “Deep down, I’m going, ‘If I get my hands on that son of a buck, I’m going to rip his heart out,'” Reid said.
MORE: How Long Have Kelce and Mahomes Played Together?
“For the first five years, it was a war. For the last five years, it’s been unbelievable,” Reid said. A big reason for Kelce’s fall was rumored off-the-field concerns, including his season-long suspension. “For the first five years, those rumors were pretty close.”
A big reason for Reid feeling comfortable taking Kelce was his knowledge of the family. Before becoming the head coach of the Chiefs, Reid was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and drafted Travis’ older brother, Jason.
Ultimately, four tight ends were drafted before Travis. Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar, and Vance McDonald. According to Reid, though, Kelce was always their guy. “He was the first one [on our board]. We were gonna get him. That’s who we wanted.”
Now, at 34 years old, Kelce is running it back for another season in hopes of being a part of the first-ever team to win three Super Bowls in a row. Beyond that, though, it’s unknown how long Kelce has left in his NFL career before he hangs it up. However, he has it all left in the tank.
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