Jason Kelce

Jason Daniel Kelce was born on November 5, 1987, and spent all 13 seasons of his NFL career as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Cincinnati, where he started as a walk-on running back before moving to fullback and eventually the offensive line. The Eagles picked him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Over his career, he won Super Bowl LII, earned seven Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro six times. Many consider him one of the best centers in NFL history.

Off the field, Kelce co-hosts the podcast New Heights with his brother, Travis, discussing their playing days and other topics. In 2024, he joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown pregame show.

Kelce grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, after being born in Greenville, North Carolina. His father, Ed, worked in steel sales, and his mother, Donna, worked in banking. He is the older brother of Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. In a January 2025 podcast, the brothers shared that they have partial Croatian ancestry through two maternal great-grandmothers and a grandmother, while another great-grandmother, Helen Henrietta Sadlowski, was born to Polish immigrants, and a great-grandfather, Frank Petranck, was born to Czech immigrants.

At Cleveland Heights High School, Kelce played running back and linebacker, earning All-Lake Erie League honors twice. He also played baritone saxophone in the symphonic and jazz bands, and participated in hockey and lacrosse.

In college, after redshirting his first year at Cincinnati, Kelce saw action at center and guard in nine games during the 2007 season, which ended with a 10–3 record and a win over Southern Mississippi in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. As a sophomore in 2008, he started 13 games at left guard, helping the Bearcats average 27.3 points and 375.3 yards per game. The team went 11–3, won the Big East, and lost to Virginia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl. That year, his brother Travis joined him at Cincinnati.

In 2009, Kelce started 13 games at left guard, earned second-team All-Big East honors, and helped the Bearcats go undefeated in the regular season (12–0) before losing to Florida in the Sugar Bowl. For his senior season in 2010, he moved to center under new coach Butch Jones, starting the final 38 games of his 47-game college career (26 at left guard, 12 at center). He received Honorable Mention All-America and second-team All-Big East recognition.

Despite lacking typical NFL size, Kelce was projected as a fourth-round pick. At the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash among offensive linemen (4.89 seconds). On March 11, 2011, he had an appendectomy after being diagnosed with appendicitis. The Eagles selected him in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2011 draft. Because of the NFL lockout, he couldn’t practice or sign until July 25, and he inked a four-year contract two days later. Offensive line coach Howard Mudd saw Kelce as similar to Colts center Jeff Saturday. Rookie teammate Danny Watkins compared Kelce to a hedgehog for his spiky hair, quickness, and stoutness. Kelce competed with incumbent Jamaal Jackson for the starting job, took all first-team reps before the third preseason game, and was named the starter on August 29. He became the first Eagles rookie to start all 16 games at center.

In 2012, Kelce started again but suffered a partially torn MCL and a torn ACL in a September win over the Ravens, ending his season. He returned in 2013 to start all 16 games, helping the Eagles reach the playoffs and set team records with 442 points and 6,676 yards. He paved the way for LeSean McCoy’s league-leading 1,607 rushing yards. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s best center that year, and he received the Ed Block Courage Award.

On February 27, 2014, he agreed to a six-year, $37.5 million extension with $13 million guaranteed. That September, he had sports hernia surgery and missed four games, but still made his first Pro Bowl. He started all 16 games in 2015, ranking seventh among centers by PFF, and did the same in 2016, earning his second Pro Bowl nod. In 2017, Kelce started all 16 games, was named first-team All-Pro, earned PFF’s highest grade among offensive linemen, and won Run Blocker of the Year. He capped the season by winning Super Bowl LII with the Eagles, beating the New England Patriots 41–33.