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.
“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.
Kelce elevated his game even further as a redshirt sophomore in 2013. He became Cincinnati’s top receiving threat, hauling in 59 receptions for 853 yards and eight touchdowns. His play earned him first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. Kelce had cemented his status as a potential early-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft after just two seasons of major college football.
Kelce entered the 2013 NFL Draft with teams intrigued by his rare athletic gifts and upside as a pass-catching tight end. He impressed scouts further with a stellar performance at the NFL Combine, showcasing his speed, agility and ball skills. On draft day, the Kansas City Chiefs saw Kelce’s potential and selected him in the third round with the 63rd overall pick.
Kelce began his NFL career behind Pro Bowl tight end Anthony Fasano on the Chiefs’ depth chart. However, he quickly made an impact as a rookie. Kelce started seven games in 2013, catching 23 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns. His combination of size, speed and reliable hands made him a mismatch problem for opposing defenses. Kelce established himself as the Chiefs’ tight end of the future.
Over the next few seasons, Kelce developed into one of the NFL’s most complete tight ends. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2015 after catching eight touchdowns, showing off his playmaking ability in the red zone. Kelce followed that up with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2016 and 2017, displaying big-play potential as a primary receiving option.
Kelce has continued getting better with age. From 2018 to 2021, he was selected to the Pro Bowl each season while averaging over 1,000 yards receiving per year. He helped lead the Chiefs to two Super Bowl appearances over that span, winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy after the 2019 season. Kelce is widely considered the NFL’s best tight end and one of the premier pass-catchers in the entire league.
Looking back, Kelce credits that single phone call from his brother Jason as the pivotal moment that changed his entire athletic journey and career path. Going from a promising young baseball player to one of the NFL’s all-time great tight ends seemed improbable at the time. But thanks to Jason’s encouragement, Travis was able to embrace his true passion for football and maximize his immense talents on the gridiron.
“I’ll always be grateful to my brother for taking that time to call me and help me see my potential in football,” Kelce said. “He believed in me when I wasn’t sure if I could make it. I’m living proof that one conversation can completely alter the course of your life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Jason pushing me to chase my NFL dream.”
The phone call that changed Travis Kelce’s life serves as an inspiring story of perseverance, hard work and following your dreams. It took guts for Kelce to walk away from professional baseball and reinvent himself as a football player. His journey highlights the importance of having supportive people in your corner who help you achieve your potential. With guidance from his brother, Kelce was able to transform himself from a promising young baseball player into an NFL legend – all starting from a single, fateful phone conversation.
