The Phone Call That Changed Travis Kelce’s Life: A Journey from Baseball to Football Stardom.
Travis Kelce has established himself as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history during his nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. The six-time Pro Bowler is a dominant force on the field, known for his athleticism, route-running ability, and knack for making highlight-reel catches. However, Kelce’s path to football stardom was far from predetermined. In fact, it took a single, fateful phone call to set him on the course towards NFL glory.
Kelce was born in 1990 in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up with a strong athletic pedigree. Both of his parents played college sports – his mother played basketball at Edinboro University while his father was a football player at Youngstown State. From a young age, Kelce showed promise as an athlete. He lettered in three sports – football, basketball, and baseball – at Cleveland Heights High School. While he enjoyed playing all three, baseball was his first love.
Kelce excelled as a catcher throughout his high school career. He earned all-state honors his junior and senior seasons while leading his team to a district championship as a senior. Scouts took notice of Kelce’s athleticism and skills behind the plate. In the 2010 MLB Draft, he was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round. Kelce was thrilled to continue his baseball journey at the professional level.
“I had always dreamed of playing Major League Baseball since I was a little kid,” Kelce said. “Getting drafted was a surreal moment and I couldn’t wait to get started in the Reds organization.”
Kelce signed with the Reds and began his minor league career that summer, playing for the Billings Mustangs in rookie ball. While he enjoyed the competition and camaraderie of baseball, Kelce started to feel unfulfilled after just a few months in the minors. He missed the physicality and intensity of football. As a tight end in high school, Kelce relished the opportunity to block and smash into defenders. Baseball simply didn’t provide the same type of contact.
“Baseball is such a mental grind in the minors,” Kelce said. “You’re playing pretty much every day for not a lot of money. It started to wear on me. I also really missed the team aspect of football – being part of a close-knit group working towards a common goal on gamedays.”
Kelce began to seriously contemplate walking away from his baseball career and pursuing football instead. However, he wasn’t sure if he even had a realistic chance of making it in the NFL. That’s when he received the life-changing phone call from his brother Jason.
Jason Kelce, now a four-time Pro Bowl center for the Philadelphia Eagles, was Travis’ biggest supporter and role model growing up. In 2010, Jason was entering his rookie season after being drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round out of Cincinnati. During one of their regular conversations, Jason sensed Travis’ growing dissatisfaction with minor league baseball. He encouraged his little brother to give football one more shot.
“I told Travis that I thought he had the size and athleticism to make it as a tight end in the NFL,” Jason recalled. “I said his hands and ball skills from baseball would translate well to being a pass-catching tight end. I really believed in his potential and wanted to help him chase his dreams in whatever sport it was.”
Travis was inspired by his brother’s confidence and advice. He decided to take a leap of faith and leave baseball behind to focus fully on preparing for the NFL. Kelce began an intense offseason training program focused on improving his speed, strength, route-running and blocking techniques. He worked tirelessly with private coaches, hitting the weight room daily and practicing football drills for hours on end.
“I approached football training with the same mentality and work ethic I had for baseball,” Kelce said. “I knew I had to transform my body and skills quickly if I wanted to prove myself amongst top college prospects. It was definitely a grind but I loved the challenge of improving every single day.”
Kelce’s hard work paid off as he put together a stellar senior season for Cleveland Heights in 2011. As a tight end, he caught 36 passes for 740 yards and 12 touchdowns. His combination of size, athleticism and football skills drew interest from several Division I programs. Kelce ultimately chose the University of Cincinnati to continue his football career.
In his first season with the Bearcats in 2012, Kelce made an immediate impact. He started 11 games as a redshirt freshman, catching 34 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns. Kelce established himself as one of the top tight end prospects in college football with his combination of size, speed, hands and football IQ.
