ANDY REID STILL recollects the primary time he met Travis Kelce, after certainly one of Kelce’s video games whereas he was nonetheless on the College of Cincinnati. He remembers pondering it was going to take endurance — a number of endurance — if he had been to ever coach this participant.
Kelce handled Reid like a long-lost buddy greater than a brand new acquaintance. He referred to as the veteran coach “large fella.”
“He was being Travis, being cocky,” Reid stated. “Jiminy, he was cocky.”
It was a becoming begin to the connection between Reid, an old-school coach, and Kelce, a fun-loving tight finish who proved Reid proper in that he would take a look at his endurance loads.
Even just lately, in Reid and Kelce’s eleventh season along with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, the 2 clashed on the sideline after Kelce slammed his helmet in frustration throughout an unsightly Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at house. Reid instructed an tools supervisor to not instantly return the helmet to Kelce and had some phrases for him earlier than finally sending him again into the sport.
However issues typically have labored out in addition to Reid and Kelce might have hoped. Beneath Reid’s tutelage, Kelce has change into one of many biggest tight ends of all time. He’s fourth all-time amongst gamers at his place in catches and receptions. He’s not the undisciplined and cocky child Reid met that day in Cincinnati, and but, in some ways he hasn’t modified in any respect.
“For Travis, Coach Reid has nearly been like that uncle you could have that you simply hearken to and get recommendation from,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes stated. “He makes Travis an excellent soccer participant however I feel even a greater individual. He has really feel for getting on Travis when he wants that motivation, however on the similar time he lets Travis be who he’s.”
TIGHT ENDS COACH Tom Melvin might typically be discovered within the gamers’ parking zone earlier than workforce conferences early in Kelce’s profession. Correctly managing his time was a problem for Kelce then, and Reid would ship Melvin exterior to attend for Kelce and rush him into the constructing.
Reid is not a lot for yelling and screaming, preferring extra refined methods to get his level throughout. One is the look he makes use of when he knits his eyebrows and glares at a participant.
Kelce stated the look means “sufficient screwing round,” including he used to obtain it incessantly.
“One of many hardest issues for me was to juggle having fun with my life off the sector and nonetheless being an expert and prepared and on the prime of my sport week in and week out,” Kelce stated. “Loads of that was Coach Reid sitting me down, speaking with me and guiding me by means of all of it. I used to be testing it with him.
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“I used to be late to conferences, hanging out an excessive amount of all through the week, not essentially focusing and exhibiting to my coaches that I used to be giving all the things I might. I discovered you’ll be able to present your persona and have enjoyable however you need to be accountable to the man subsequent to you and have the ability to deal with the highs and the lows of the sport. Now, soccer is the one place in my life the place I am actually detailed, actually skilled. Once I’m enthusiastic about soccer, I am dialed in. I can lock in, actually compartmentalize. That is due to Coach Reid.”
Kelce is loads of issues, together with being the best pass-catching tight finish of his era. His streak of seven 1,000-yard seasons, a report for his place, was snapped in 2023 — he was 16 yards brief — when the Chiefs rested him, Mahomes and a few of their different stars within the season’s remaining sport.
Kelce’s additionally an enormous persona who as soon as had his personal courting actuality present and now could be courting the world’s preeminent pop star, Taylor Swift. Travis and his brother Jason, of the Philadelphia Eagles, host a podcast by which Travis is not afraid to talk his thoughts, typically profanely. Travis as soon as — whereas seated subsequent to Mahomes at a nationally televised basketball sport — was proven chugging beer.
Reid would possibly choose that Kelce dwell a extra sedate life-style, however he knew what to anticipate from Kelce when he joined the Chiefs as a third-round draft choose in 2013.
“When Travis got here to us, he was a bit of little bit of a celebration man,” Chiefs normal supervisor Brett Veach stated. “Andy confirmed loads of endurance and tolerance.
“Travis wished consideration. He wished loads of issues. He did issues in another way than everybody else. Coming right here, having to do issues a sure approach and actually organizing and prioritizing his life was a problem. There have been loads of one-on-one conferences with Coach and loads of, ‘That is how I would like issues performed.’ There have been a ton of bumps early on, however Coach’s love and religion for Travis by no means wavered. He obtained him by means of a tough time early on.”
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AFTER 14 SEASONS teaching the Eagles, Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013. He was aware of Travis by means of Jason, the middle who performed for him for 2 seasons with the Eagles.
Reid initially wasn’t sure he wished Travis with the Chiefs. He noticed his pass-catching skill however was conflicted concerning the season-long suspension in 2010 from the Cincinnati Bearcats for a number of constructive marijuana exams.
The coach acknowledged it will have been tough for the Chiefs to draft Travis if he hadn’t recognized Jason. Jason stated Reid referred to as him shortly earlier than the draft.
“I felt like he was asking me within the second, ‘You notice I am taking this shot on him. I wish to be sure this works out,'” Jason stated. “Type of like [Reid was saying], ‘You are a part of this figuring out,’ so if it would not work out, he is holding me accountable.
“We had an excellent relationship in Philadelphia though it was just for two years. He knew me and trusted me as a participant. My brother’s movie from school I feel spoke for itself. I feel they knew the kind of participant they had been getting. Due to the within scoop I suppose with me, they had been in a position to form of recover from a few of the considerations with him.”
As soon as he was with the Chiefs, the method of making an attempt to suit Travis into Reid’s mould started.
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“He coached me laborious,” Kelce stated. “He did not let me are available in and be this happy-go-lucky man. He challenged me each single day.”
Kelce recalled in certainly one of his first coaching camps, the Chiefs ran a long-drive drill the place the offense stays on the sector for 15-20 performs, which is lengthy by NFL apply requirements.
“He referred to as nearly each single play for me,” Kelce stated. “There was a slant after which a deep ball after which we’re coming again with a deep cross after which an out route. I do know he was difficult me. I do know he wished to make me really feel it within the pit of my abdomen, be depressing out on the sector however nonetheless need to be accountable to my guys.
“Certain sufficient, I am dragging tail, and I look over at Coach Reid and he tells me to get it going, tells me that I used to be transferring too slowly. That is what he does. I see how he challenges different guys, the younger guys, these days. It is enjoyable to see how guys react to it. I even go as much as guys and allow them to know, ‘Hey, that is the place you could find greatness in your self, that is the place you’ll be able to take the following step.'”
KELCE MISSED HIS rookie season after having microfracture surgical procedure on his knee. He progressed as a participant as soon as he obtained on the sector. His catches and yards elevated in every of his first three NFL seasons.
However he had the knack for sometimes setting the Chiefs again with a penalty that was normally sparked by his mood.
Throughout his profession, Kelce has been penalized six occasions for unsportsmanlike conduct and as soon as for taunting. He was ejected from a sport in 2016 for throwing a towel at an official after he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. It is value noting that 5 of the seven penalties got here in 2017 or earlier, which means the primary 4 seasons of his profession.
“These acts early on in his profession had been about him and the self-gratification of appearing out,” Veach stated. “Now he is form of been rewired. Now when he screws up, he’ll go proper to Coach and say, ‘I am sorry, Huge Crimson.’ The sport has change into much less about him and extra concerning the workforce.”
Kelce is fast to indicate contrition when he slips up. He threw a punch throughout coaching camp at linebacker Jack Cochrane, who was making an attempt to pry the ball away after Kelce made a catch.
Kelce apologized on social media for throwing the punch. Reid stated he by no means needed to strategy Kelce concerning the incident as a result of Kelce approached him first.
“You continue to see that keenness and that craziness however in a productive approach,” Veach stated. “You continue to see that persona, however it’s performed throughout the confines of professionalism and construction of doing issues the best approach. He is an excellent instance now.”
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KELCE IS THE fourth-highest paid tight finish within the NFL this yr with a median annual wage of $14.3 million. He stated he realizes he might have squeezed extra from the Chiefs or been paid extra as a free agent.
Kelce stated there are numerous causes he remained with the Chiefs for much less cash. Two Tremendous Bowl wins and the prospect to play with a generational expertise like Mahomes are excessive on the record.
So is enjoying for Reid.
“I do know what I’ve right here is particular and I can not get that anyplace else,” Kelce stated. “Coach Reid is among the largest causes for that. I can not even fathom going anyplace else and having the identical success. I might hope I might have gained the identical talent units, however I’ve heard how issues are in different buildings, with different organizations. So I have been greater than blessed.
“That goes for issues off the sector, too. All people is aware of I am a fun-loving man, that I prefer to get out of the home, however he places in additional work than anyone that I’ve ever met, and what that does is maintain you to a typical that you need to match. Being ready is his largest factor.”
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For his half, Kelce has helped Reid win numerous video games and caught a landing cross in every of the Chiefs’ two latest Tremendous Bowl victories.
However the methods by which he helped Reid transcend what’s occurred on the sector. Coping with a participant equivalent to Kelce helped Reid perceive it is OK to permit for personalities to indicate, so long as that does not have an effect on what occurs on the sector.
“Travis is a man that reveals his persona very effectively,” stated former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, a teammate of Kelce’s early in his profession. “He is very charismatic, a enjoyable man. That is a bit of totally different from Andy. You at all times know what you are getting from Andy. No surprises. Kelce is a bit of bit the opposite approach.
“Kelce helps Andy loosen up and keep younger. You have to keep in your toes with Kelce. Having enjoyable is what Kelce is about. That is simply how it’s. Kelce wants that steering. Andy put him in a field, however it wasn’t a bit of field. He would let him do his factor however there have been some parameters.”
The Chiefs are probably the most profitable NFL franchise of the previous decade, with eight straight division championships, 5 straight AFC Championship Recreation appearances and two Tremendous Bowl titles.
It is tough to image the Chiefs or their followers having fun with the journey as a lot with out Kelce. He gave the franchise an anthem when he famously invoked the Beastie Boys and screamed, “You have gotta struggle in your proper to celebration!” after its AFC Championship victory after the 2019 season.
After final yr’s AFC Championship Recreation, he referred to as out the Cincinnati mayor, who earlier than the sport had made enjoyable of the Chiefs and their struggles in opposition to the Bengals. He’s the one each participant and fan has to listen to communicate on the Tremendous Bowl parades as a result of nobody is ever sure what’s going to come out of his mouth.
In that sense, the life he is dropped at the Chiefs could also be his most essential reward to Reid and his workforce.
“You are speaking a couple of man that has an abundance of constructive power that is infectious all through the group,” Veach stated. “You throw within the receptions and the touchdowns and the Professional Bowls and the Corridor of Fame profession, simply his manufacturing is helpful for Coach. However equally as essential is that Travis has been in a position to filter all of that power and pleasure in a approach that brings this workforce nearer collectively.
“We play ‘(You have Gotta) Battle for Your Proper (To Social gathering!)’ after a landing now due to Travis Kelce. That tune is linked to this group due to Travis Kelce. It is like an power multiplier. That is laborious to quantify simply how essential that’s. He performs with that form of character, charisma, ardour, and he brings folks together with him. In our constructing, all people is associates with Travis Kelce. He’s an final power giver. He elevates all people’s temper, focus, consideration and on the finish of the day, he is nonetheless enjoyable.”
ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.
