Travis Kelce is one of the biggest names in the NFL today. As the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Kelce has established himself as a perennial All-Pro and one of the most dominant players at his position. His combination of size, speed, athleticism, and route-running ability make him a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses. Kelce holds numerous franchise and league records and has helped lead the Chiefs to multiple Super Bowl appearances.
While Kelce is undoubtedly one of the best tight ends in NFL history, there are several other sports that he opted not to pursue at the professional level. Throughout his athletic career, Kelce showed promise in multiple sports but ultimately chose to focus solely on football. In this article, we will examine three sports that Travis Kelce does not play competitively – basketball, baseball, and soccer.
## Basketball
Basketball was one of Kelce’s primary sports growing up. At Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio, Kelce starred on the basketball court in addition to playing football. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game as a senior, leading his team to a 20-4 record and a district championship. Kelce’s size, athleticism, and skillset translated well to basketball. He had scholarship offers to play both football and basketball at the collegiate level.
However, Kelce chose to focus solely on football once he got to the University of Cincinnati. At 6’5 and 260 pounds with his athletic gifts, Kelce projected much better as a football tight end at the next level. While he certainly had the physical tools and talent to play basketball in college, Kelce prioritized developing into an NFL prospect. This decision paid major dividends, as Kelce went on to become a three-time All-American at Cincinnati and a first round draft pick of the Chiefs.
To this day, Kelce still shows off his basketball skills on occasion. He is known to participate in celebrity games and workouts with NBA players in the offseason. Kelce clearly still loves the sport and remains quite skilled on the court for a professional football player. However, his commitment to football prevented Kelce from pursuing basketball at the collegiate or professional levels. Had he chosen basketball instead of football, it’s possible Kelce could have forged a career in the NBA given his natural gifts and athletic pedigree.
## Baseball
Like basketball, baseball was another high school sport that Kelce excelled at. He lettered in baseball all four years at Cleveland Heights, playing both catcher and first base. Kelce had a strong arm and showed power at the plate. His baseball talents were good enough to earn him a spot on his district’s all-star team as a senior. Kelce likely would have had the opportunity to walk on to Cincinnati’s baseball team had he wanted to continue playing in college.
However, Kelce made the choice to solely focus on developing into an NFL tight end once he got to the University of Cincinnati. He did not play baseball at all in college in order to devote all his energy to football. Kelce’s combination of size, speed, and athleticism was simply a better fit for the tight end position at the next level.
Despite giving up baseball after high school, Kelce has expressed interest in potentially playing professionally after his NFL career. In interviews, Kelce has mentioned that he would be open to joining a major league team as a two-way player once he retires from football. His arm strength, athleticism, and power potential would translate well to a position like catcher or first base. Kelce could definitely hold his own physically in professional baseball given his natural talents and tools. Whether he seriously pursues this after football remains to be seen, but it’s an intriguing possibility for Kelce’s post-NFL career path.
## Soccer
Unlike basketball and baseball, soccer is not a sport that Travis Kelce played growing up. He has gone on record stating that he was never very interested in soccer and is not a big fan of watching it for entertainment. Kelce prefers more physical sports like football, basketball, and baseball that allow for more contact. The technical skills and endurance required for soccer simply did not appeal to him athletically.
Kelce has acknowledged that his lack of experience and familiarity with soccer is what prevents him from having any desire to play it professionally. He knows he would be vastly behind in terms of technical ability, tactical awareness, and sport-specific conditioning compared to players who have trained in soccer their whole lives. Kelce’s rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism might translate on the pitch, but only with years of development in the sport.
At this point in his career, Kelce is solely focused on continuing his NFL dominance with the Chiefs and winning more Super Bowls. He does not have the time or motivation to embark on a journey to learn soccer from scratch just for the sake of potentially playing professionally. Kelce is content being an all-time great tight end rather than attempting to break into a new sport late in his athletic prime. Soccer remains the only major sport that Kelce has never participated in competitively at any level. It simply does not fit his athletic profile or interests.
## Conclusion
While Travis Kelce is one of the NFL’s premier tight ends, there were other sports he could have potentially excelled at had he chosen a different path. Kelce showed promise in basketball and baseball during his high school career but opted to focus solely on developing as a football player once he got to college. This decision has paid massive dividends, as Kelce is now cemented as a future Hall of Famer in the NFL.
Basketball and baseball remain sports that Kelce still enjoys recreationally. He maintains the skills and talents to compete at a high level in either sport if he ever decided to fully commit. Kelce has even floated the idea of playing professional baseball after retiring from football. Soccer is the only major sport Kelce has never participated in, and he has no desire to start due to his lack of experience and preference for more physical sports.
Ultimately, Kelce made the right choice for his career by specializing in football. He maximized his rare combination of size and athleticism as an NFL tight end. While Kelce could have potentially found success in other sports, football is clearly where he belongs as one of the greatest to ever play the position. His dominance and championship pedigree with the Chiefs is a testament to Kelce prioritizing the sport best suited for his exceptional skills and talents.
News
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Jason Kelce is officially going to be a part of football fans’ Monday nights this fall. ESPN officially announced the signing of the recently retired Eagles center Tuesday to a multiyear contract to serve as an NFL analyst for the network’s “Monday…
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Jason Kelce, who retired earlier this year after 13 years with the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles, told the crowd at Disney‘s upfront how pumped he is to be joining “Monday Night Freakin’ Football!” While he kept his shirt on (unlike last January, when…
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Jason Kelce officially confirmed he will join ESPN for its “Monday Night Countdown” pregame show during the 2024 NFL season. The big news was announced at the Disney Advertising Upfront in New York City on Tuesday, May 14. As Kelce…
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Jаѕon Kelсe іѕ one of the moѕt beloved аthleteѕ іn Phіlаdelрhіа ѕрortѕ hіѕtory. Aѕ the longtіme сenter for the Eаgleѕ, he hаѕ аnсhored the offenѕіve lіne аnd helрed leаd the teаm to theіr fіrѕt Suрer Bowl vісtory іn 2017. But…
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Jason Kelce hilariously gatecrashed an NFL meeting to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s delight. In a video posted by the New Heights X account, Kelce walked in unannounced as Goodell held a meeting in what appears to be the NFL headquarters in New York…
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