Talk about great American sports families and Travis Kelce’s name will appear at the top. His forever cheering squad includes parents Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce, fellow athlete brother Jason Kelce and Jason’s wife Kylie Kelce. A new addition to the Kelce crew is Travis’ uber-famous girlfriend, the global pop sensation — Taylor Swift. The singer’s bright personality seems to fit right in with the Kelces, who wear their passion like a badge be it for sports or bonds of love. Here’s all you need to know about Travis Kelce’s family.
The Kelce family members often show up at NFL games in support of their two star players Travis and Jason. However, the moment that first put Travis’ mom into the spotlight was the night she and Taylor Swift hugged at a Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2023. The iconic moment captured their close bond and seemed like an affirmation of Swift’s serious romance with Kelce.
Travis’ podcast New Heights with his brother Jason Kelce has also been a boon for Swifties eager to get to know him. No topic is off-limits for the brothers, who discuss everything from family to sports with refreshing honesty. From Jason’s NFL retirement to Travis’ bond with his nieces, here’s all you need to know about Travis Kelce and his vibrant family.
Everything to know about Travis Kelce’s family
Who is Donna Kelce aka beloved ‘Mama Kelce’?
If anyone can steal the spotlight away from the famous NFL players that are Jason and Travis Kelce, it is their mother, Donna Kelce. The proud mom has supported her NFL-superstar sons with admiring gusto and is no less of an icon herself. She grew up in Cleveland and had a tumultuous childhood after losing her mom when she was twelve. On the New Heights podcast, Donna opened up about growing up with her father and his new wife Mary whom she called a “wonderful human being.”
Before raising two sons whose talent shook the NFL, Donna made a name for herself as the first person in her family to graduate from college with the support of her stepmother. She studied broadcast communications at Ohio University and later made a career in banking. Sports seems to run in the Kelce family DNA and Donna’s athletic past is proof of that. While Donna herself has won medals at the Junior Olympics in running and high jump, her brother, Don Blalock, also played football at Purdue University.
Back in 2023, when Jason and Travis’ teams were pitted against one another for a historic Super Bowl face-off, Donna’s sweet gesture towards her sons went viral. With both her sons’ teams making it to Super Bowl LVII, Donna’s sweet gesture of Tupperwares filled with her special homemade cookies served as a reminder of familial love. Mama Kelce didn’t pick sides but showed everyone that love towers over competition at the Kelce home.
What has Donna Kelce said about Taylor Swift?
Besides scoring points as one of the best football moms in the NFL, Donna also earned a Swiftie-approved badge of honour after fans noticed her listening to a Taylor Swift song. In an Instagram video where she showcased her Celebrity Cruise room, Swift’sThe 1 could be heard playing in the background. This is not the only time Mama Kelce has supported Swift, as she has also spoken fondly about the global superstar in interviews.
After their first hangout at the Kansas City Chiefs game in September 2023, Travis’ mom told Today that it was “okay” meeting Swift and added that she didn’t want to comment on her son’s personal life. In a separate interview with the Wall Street Journal, she admitted that she has never seen her son “happier”, alluding to his new relationship with Swift.
Another Donna Kelce seal of approval for Swift came to light in February this year, when she updated her Facebook cover photo, showcasing the singer in a cheerful post-match mood with friends.
The Kelce family patriarch, Ed Kelce
Donna and Ed Kelce were together for over twenty years before heading for divorce. Despite their separation, the former couple remain amicable and Donna has even said that the two are friends to this day. Addressing their relationship on the podcast, Donna said, “We get along great, it’s just sometimes people, they move apart.”
The former couple also had an interesting love story. Donna was meant to go on another date when she met Ed. She stopped by a bar where Ed arrived for an after-work drink. The two got to talking, and the rest is history.
Travis’ dad grew up in the Collinwood neighbourhood of Cleveland and has had a great impact on his and Jason’s sports careers. Kelce Sr. worked in the steel industry and was a sales rep for manufacturers. Coming from a long line of veterans, Ed Kelce wanted to serve in the Marines; however, a knee injury from high school prevented him from doing so. As the family patriarch, he also actively took on other ventures, including part-time work at a candy store to pay for Christmas gifts for the family.
Ed contributed hugely to both Jason and Travis’ athletic abilities; it was Ed who coached Travis in T-ball, and Jason in pitch baseball. And it was also Ed himself who instilled the virtues of hard work and maintaining humility in sport, both virtues that the brothers are known for.
As per the LA Times, Ed also moved from Cleveland to Philadelphia so as to be close to his older son Jason. In particular, he also made the decision to spend more time with his granddaughters, Wyatt, Elliotte, and Bennett.
With his younger son’s romantic life making the headlines, Ed has not shied away from addressing the relationship. Ed revealed his first impression of the Anti-Hero singer as a “very, very sweet, very charming, down-to-earth young woman.”
All about Travis Kelce’s brother Jason Kelce
The Kelce brothers have made NFL history as the first brothers to ever have a Super Bowl face-off. Jason and Travis’ bond both on and off the field has been heartwarming, to say the least. Jason played for the Philadelphia Eagles, but ultimately announced his retirement from the sport on March 5, 2024. It was a heavy-hearted farewell from the NFL player, who had been the Eagles’ centre for 13 years and seasons. In his retirement speech, Jason spoke about his and Travis’ childhood dream saying, “We won countless Super Bowls in our minds before ever leaving the house.”
The brothers share a close bond, and as Jason thanked Travis for being his supportive brother as well as a tough competitor in the game, the latter could not hold back his tears. Born two years apart, Jason and Travis grew up in Ohio and have always nurtured healthy competition amongst themselves. The duo have played multiple sports since their childhood including baseball. Apart from football, Jason also played hockey.
Before getting drafted into the NFL, Jason played college football and was the offensive lineman on the University of Cincinnati’s team. Like his brother, Travis also attended the same university, and the duo later played side by side on the collegiate team. After his graduation, Jason was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. His success at the team has been no small feat, with the Eagles winning the Super Bowl in 2018. It was the first-ever win for the Eagles, and Jason celebrated this iconic moment with a thrilling speech about hard work and motivation.
Jason’s successful role as the centre also earned him a contract worth USD 14 million with the Eagles. It was Jason’s winning mindset that eventually inspired Travis’ jersey number 87, which is a nod to his older brother. The special number honours Jason’s birth year, 1987.
Jason and Travis’ podcast
Off the field, Jason fulfils many roles, including being the annoying older brother to Travis and openly trolling him on their podcast New Heights. He is also a husband to Kylie Kelce and a father to their three amazing daughters. As a podcaster, the retired NFL player has gained a huge fan base, and Swifties aren’t complaining given his ability to get Travis to talk about Taylor. In fact, the brothers also won the Podcast of the Year Award at the iHeart Radio Podcast Awards, and believe that it was a gift from the Swifties.
New Heights was launched in 2022 and has successfully brought out the ultra-entertaining sides of Jason and Travis Kelce. After filling up football stadiums, the brothers are now ready to fill up other venues with a live show of their podcast as well. Dates for their podcast tour are yet to be announced, but the Kelce brothers will surely have some major surprises in store for fans.
Kylie McDevitt Kelce – Who is Travis’s sister-in-law?
Jason Kelce and Kylie McDevitt have one of the sweetest love stories. The couple met each other on a dating app, and dated before eventually tying the knot in 2018. The story of their first date is hilarious, as per Kelce tradition. Hailing from Philadelphia, Kylie met her now-husband Jason on Tinder. After matching with him on the dating app, Kylie revealed in their Amazon Prime Video doc Kelce, that she had no idea he was an Eagles player.
Hilariously, their first date was also an awkward one, in which she met the pro athlete and his friends at a bar. Recalling how that went, she said, “Forty-five minutes later, he fell asleep at the bar, like just, out, like asleep, asleep.” Despite the shenanigans of their first date, Jason turned the ship around and asked Kylie out again. The couple continued to date, and in 2015, they made their relationship Instagram official.
Before becoming an integral part of the Kelce clan, Kylie attended Cabrini University in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where she was a field hockey player. She was also a part of the All-CSAC First Team and ECAC South All-Stars First Team. Currently, apart from raising their three daughters, Kylie also fundraises for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
Kylie and Jason got married in June 2018 at the Logan Hotel in Philadelphia. Their proposal story was shared by Kylie on the podcast, where she revealed how she knew he was asking her to marry him. The proposal happened in a truck parked outside of her father’s house, where Jason first asked for his future father-in-law’s permission and blessing. The couple are parents to three daughters — Wyatt Elizabeth, 4, Elliotte Ray, 2, and Bennett Llewellyn, who was born on February 23, 2023.
In a recent interview with Today, Kylie spoke about brother-in-law Travis and Taylor Swift’s relationship and the added spotlight it has cast on their family. Expressing her support for the couple, she said, “Ultimately, if Travis is happy, we’re happy. We are always cheering on Uncle Trav, it’s such a treat to be able to do that on and off the field.”
‘Uncle Trav’ and his adorable nieces
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end shares a sweet bond with his three nieces, earning him the nickname “Uncle Trav.” There are many reasons why fans love the New Heights podcast, and one of them is because it provides a glimpse into Travis’ adorable interactions with his nieces. In one of the episodes, Jason sat accompanied by his toddler Elliotte, who smiled widely at the screen. This led to a sweet response from Travis, “You’re smiling big. You’re making my day.”
Another cute video posted by Jason on his Instagram showcased Wyatt calling her uncle “naughty” and “sneaky” while prodding him to take off a pink-hair wig that had previously been worn by Jason during a podcast episode. It’s these interactions that make the adorable Kelce clan entertaining as well as relatable.
(Main and featured images: Travis Kelce/Instagram; Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Are Travis Kelce’s parents still married?
Travis Kelce’s parents Donna and Ed Kelce had been together for over two decades but the couple got divorced ten years ago. His mother addressed the divorce on an episode of the New Heights podcast.
– Do the Kelce brothers have other siblings?
Jason and Travis Kelce do not have other siblings. The brothers were born two years apart and were raised in Ohio by their parents Donna and Ed Kelce.
– What does Donna Kelce think of Taylor?
Donna Kelce opened up about Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift and maintained that he “shot for the stars” and is happier than ever.
– Who is older Travis or Jason Kelce?
Jason Kelce is Travis Kelce’s older brother. He was born on November 5, 1987, and Travis arrived on October 5, 1989.
