Figure 1 The Chiefs now have a whole new set of fans
He is one of the biggest names in the NFL and has been a favorite of football fans for years. But it is in recent weeks that his name has found its way onto a whole different set of celebrity websites. Travis Kelce may already have been well known to sports fans but now everyone knows who he is.
The reason for Kelce becoming a bona fide A-lister outside of the sports world is that he has had a very famous fan coming along to cheer him on in the opening games of the new season. Football fans might have been tempted to use a BetUS bonus code offer to back the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the New York Jets. But now a new legion of fans is watching the games.
It takes something big to eclipse a Super Bowl winner when it comes to familiarity and media awareness. And it is fair to say that Taylor Swift has done that. She is one of the biggest names in pop music and has millions of fans online and around the world. The rumors of Swift and Kelce dating have turned the Chiefs player into a global sensation. If you don’t know your Kelce from your Kelis, here is a quick cheat sheet to talk with knowledge about a possible future Mr. Taylor Swift.
Early Life
Travis Kelce was born in Westlake, Ohio and has just celebrated his 34th birthday. He played basketball and baseball at high school, but excelled at football and his skills as a quarterback earned him scholarship offers from a number of top Division I schools. He ultimately elected to attend the University of Cincinnati.
He joined his brother Jason in the football team at Cincinnati and played as a quarterback and a tight end in his first year. But he was then suspended after testing positive for marijuana and forced to sit out a year. He came back to play two more years of college football, being named in the All-Big East team in 2012.
NFL Career
Kelce was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Head coach Andy Reid was well aware of the family talent for football after also drafting brother Jason for the Philadelphia Eagles when he was at that franchise. Kelce signed a four-year $3.12 million rookie contract with another $700,000 in bonuses.
His first season in the NFL was cut short very early on though. He injured his knee in pre-season and ended up playing only one game in 2013. He has been virtually an ever-present since though, scoring his first touchdown in week three of the 2014 season and claiming the tight end position as his own.
He has played in just about every game for the Kansas City Chiefs since 2014 and has steadily improved every year. Last season saw him post his best numbers ever, including the scoring of 12 touchdowns. He also won his second Super Bowl with the Chiefs. As well as a number of personal NFL records, Kelce is a four-time first team All-Pro and has made it to the Pro Bowl on eight occasions.
Relationships and Celebrity
Even though his celebrity status has gone through the roof in the last few weeks, you may have heard of Travis Kelce before. He is quite the extrovert and is known as one of the liveliest characters in the NFL. In 2016 he starred in the reality dating show Catching Kelce, picking Maya Benberry as the winner. He would go on to date her until the beginning of 2017.
Known as something of a joker, Kelce has hosted Saturday Night Live and even invited his brother on the episode as a guest. He also appears as a fictionalized version of himself in the hit TV comedy show Moonbase 8. As well as regularly appearing in commercials, Kelce hosts his own podcast – New Heights – alongside his brother.
The Taylor Swift Effect
For all Travis Kelce’s fame on the football field and for his various off-field exploits, being rumored to be dating Taylor Swift has really upped the gears. There has been no actual confirmation of a relationship, but Swift has been seen at a number of games this season after the two struck up a friendly relationship.
Football may be the biggest and most popular sport in the US but the NFL is now enjoying a Taylor Swift effect. Since it became apparent that she was dating Travis Kelce, sales of his jersey have increased by an incredible 400%. Prices for tickets have similarly spiked and TV broadcasters have enjoyed huge boosts to their ratings after showing Chiefs games.
The game between Kansas City and the New York Jets was watched by 27 million people, the second-highest number for any Sunday Night Football game this season. More importantly, the number of women and girls now watching NFL games has risen to unprecedented levels
Figure 2 Taylor Swift has had a huge effect on the NFL, as well as Travis Kelce
What Now for Travis Kelce?
We will see whether the celebrity relationship of the year will continue. But, whatever happens, it feels as though this has been a watershed moment for Travis Kelce.
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest stars in the world and will continue to be for years to come thanks to her huge profile and musical success. But Travis Kelce has also now burst even further out of the sports-only celebrity world. His likeable personality already made him perfect for comedy and TV and now – as long as the relationship doesn’t end too badly – we could be seeing a lot more of Kelce off the football field, as well as on it.
