In view of these 57 not only Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts steal the showe super bowl Donna Kelce, mother of Travis (Chiefs) and Jason (Eagles), quickly became a North American favorite for her candidness and anecdotes about raising the first two brothers who met in the finale.
• Also read: Patrick Mahomes: the jewel that changed the fortunes of the Chiefs
When she showed up at Media Day, she shaped the imagination. She went there to deliver the cookies she had baked to her two sons, who were in the middle of an interview with NFL Network’s Michael Irvin.
No tie
Want to get an idea of its popularity? A petition with more than 150,000 signatures was circulated asking her to draw lots before the game, which she refused.
It must be said that the smiling and very friendly woman has something to draw attention to with her jersey, which is actually a quilt that combines the jerseys of the two teams.
Photo: AFP
Donna Kelce used media day to hand out cookies to each of her boys wearing her Eagles and Chiefs jersey.
The war
Travis, 33, won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019, while Jason, two years his senior, won the title the previous year.
It’s kind of a nod to the childhood lives of the two players who grew up in Ohio.
“They were always competitive,” Donna Kelce told the New York Post. It was a race to see who gets to the table first, who eats the last chicken wing, who gets to sit in the front of the car or who takes the elevator and who takes the stairs to see who gets to the bottom first. »
“So it was always a competition. They don’t like to lose, they want to win and that’s the kind of people they are. »
hide food
Of course, when you’re raising two athletic teens who will end up being 6’3” and 292 lbs for Jason and 6’5” and 250 lbs for Travis, you practically need to put a padlock on the fridge.
“We couldn’t keep anything in the house, especially the things I loved,” the mom told Forbes. When I brought leftovers from the restaurant I put my name on the container, but when I got up the next day it was all gone. »
Donna and her husband Ed got a break when the two boys went to college.
“We were constantly in the supermarket. When they went to college, it was like I got a raise because I didn’t have to support them anymore, and that was great. »
Photo from Donna Kelce’s Facebook
Travis and Jason are seen teaming up with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
The two brothers shine on the pitch and yet football wasn’t their first love.
“I didn’t want to let her play,” Donna told the New York Post. It wasn’t very well organized, there were a lot of injuries. Only in middle school (editor’s note: between primary and secondary school) did I let them play. »
It wasn’t until college that Travis and Jason first played together with the Cincinnati Bearcats. They didn’t play together in high school when Jason was his senior and Travis was his junior year because Travis missed the season.
“He failed French and I didn’t want him to go to summer school,” the mother told the New York Post. I told him he made a mistake and had to face the consequences. »
Inseparable
Although they will be rivals on the pitch on Sunday and one of them will inevitably be heartbroken, the two brothers are now so inseparable that they co-host the popular New Heights podcast and support each other when their team efforts each become more important.
Before the sun was the shadow. In 2009, at the age of 20, young Travis failed a drug test. Shut out of the team with the bonus of a withdrawn scholarship, he needed divine intervention…or rather, fraternal intervention.
Photo from Donna Kelce’s Facebook
The Kelce brothers celebrated Christmas when they were very young.
The big Brother
Jason played the role of big brother as he pushed for Travis’ reinstatement. He even invited him to stay with him just to keep an eye on him.
“My brother showed me the way in Cincinnati,” Travis told the many journalists in attendance, including the Journal’s Stéphane Cadorette. He knew what I wanted to do with my life and he kept me on track. I had the ambition and the talent, but I needed a second chance to learn from my mistakes. »
“I owe him an eternal debt for really pushing me. I would never be here without my brother,” Travis Kelce testified to hundreds of journalists in a rare moment of vulnerability.
Enough memories, the Kelce are enjoying happy moments this week. The only drop of bitterness: Sunday evening, while one party is partying, the other is inconsolable. It’s the cruel nature of the sport.
“It’s a moment that we will remember for the rest of our lives,” said Travis Kelce.
“My goal is a win for the Chiefs rather than a win for the Kelce on the other side. I know it’s a big story here and I appreciate it, but the only thought on my mind is a Chiefs win. It’s an incredible moment for our family, but we both realize that this evening is going to end badly for one of us. »
And what will the mother do?
“I’ll celebrate with the winner and hug the loser and tell him I love him. I can’t help it. »
– With Stephane Cadorette
Jason Kelce
center, eagle | 191e choice (6e round) in 2011
- 8th center in history to be named to the Stars first team at least 5 times. The other 7 are in the Hall of Fame
- 2nd pick in 6th round history to be named First Team All-Star 5 times
- Only 1 quarterback sack granted in the last 2 seasons
- Super Bowl 52 champion
Travis Kelce
Tight end, Chiefs | 63e choice (3e round) in 2013
- 7 seasons over 1000 yards
- 4th in history in tight ends with 10,344 yards
- 4th in history on tight ends with 814 receptions
- 1st in history with an average of 71.8 yards per game
- Super Bowl 54 champion