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.
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.
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’s The 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.
