Though some might have you believe that Travis Kelce’s existence began with his relationship with Taylor Swift, the football player turned podcast host has a long and interesting life that began in Westlake, Ohio.
Travis Kelce, now 34, was born on October 5, 1989, to sales representative Ed Kelce and his wife, Donna, a former bank executive. His older brother, Jason Kelce, went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles for 13 seasons.
The athlete has always felt at home on the football field, bagging scholarship offers from institutions like Akron, Eastern Michigan University, and Miami University. Ultimately, he chose to attend the University of Cincinnati where he set numerous personal and team records.
Though some fans have snubbed Travis as “only Taylor Swift’s boyfriend”, he broke NFL records for the most consecutive and overall seasons with 1,000 receiving yards by a tight end.
From the football field to dreams of appearing on the big screen, let’s take a look at the impressive life of Travis Kelce.
Travis Kelce attended college in Cincinnati
Upon entering the higher education system, Travis was designed as a two-star recruit before he was snapped up by the University of Cincinnati. Other notable alumni include George Clooney, Kenyon Martin, and Zach Collaros.
Despite a successful college football career, some fans might be shocked to learn that it took the athlete more than a decade to graduate. After securing his diploma, he then missed the flight to his graduation.
“Yeah,” Travis said during an episode of his New Heights podcast in March. “I can’t [deny it]. I’ve got to confirm that one. That was a mess-up on my behalf. And uh, thanks for the diploma. Thank you. Love you guys.”
It seems Travis had some serious game outside the sporting world, as he confessed to blowing his entire college fund on a date night. The lucky woman was treated to a penthouse apartment stay with a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Following his college career, Travis was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs with an initial five-year contract. The deal got an extra four years in 2020, and another two in April 2024.
Travis Kelce launched the New Heights podcast in 2022
Alongside his brother Jason Kelce in 2022, Travis set out to explore new avenues of his career in the form of a podcast called New Heights.
“We saw an open space to bring our unique point of view to a wider audience,” Travis said, “with the intention of sharing our authentic take on the NFL and the culture around it.”
While the podcast centers around the NFL and people within it, New Heights has acted as a looking glass for Swifities hoping to learn more about Taylor Swift’s newest boyfriend.
Though the podcast has seen some frustrating moments, like when Jason couldn’t seem to connect or when fans took issue with swearing, New Heights has been firmly positioned on the charts since its launch two years ago.
Most recently, fans grew concerned for their favorite football player after he looked to have just rolled out of bed for the podcast filming.
The athlete has dreams off the football field
Despite being most known for his skill with football, Travis Kelce has admitted to dreams in TV and film. It’s not too much of a stress when you look at other athletes to have made the jump, like Terry Crews and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
After Travis hosted Saturday Night Live in March last year, he became more open about discussing his life post-football. Naturally, rumors began to spring up about Travis Kelce hosting the reboot of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, and he was soon offered advice from hosting legend Steve Harvey, before confirming the gig himself.
In May 2024, it was also revealed that Travis had signed on to the upcoming FX horror series Grotesquerie with Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville.
Even before his TV projects have been released, Travis is reportedly looking at the big screen as his next goal to tackle. After Arnold Schwarzenegger speculated that the football player was planning something big, Travis said he was shopping around for movie deals.
Travis Kelce’s relationship timeline
Before the time of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce dated a number of notable people, including the woman he met on his own dating show. Yes, you read that right, Travis Kelce was on a Bachelor-style dating series.
Women from across the country featured in Catching Kelce in 2016 in the hopes of bagging a date with the Kansas City Chiefs player. He dated the winner, Maya Benberry, for a few months before calling it quits.
From 2017 to 2022, Travis dated fashion influencer Kayla Nicole before he was linked to Access Hollywood correspondent Zuri Hall. Kayla later begged toxic Taylor Swift fans to leave her alone.
Meeting Taylor Swift
In August 2023, Swifties rejoiced as Travis Kelce attended the Eras Tour with his own friendship bracelet in the hopes of connecting with the Bad Blood singer. Though she initially snubbed a backstage meet, the two connected after he blasted her on his podcast.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made their first public appearance in September 2023. Since the onset of their relationship, fans have analyzed every detail under a microscope, from his hand placement during pictures to romantic getaways with Taylor’s friends.
While some fans were disappointed at the lack of Travis content in her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, others have suggested that the couple are heading towards a more significant announcement, marriage!
Travis has not shied away from answering questions about marriage and kids, but Taylor’s camp has been its usual brand of silent on future plans.
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