Every day, for years, Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has battled several mental and physical demons just like many pro athletes do. And nobody has been by his side through his fight more than Travis Kelce.
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On a recent episode of The Pivot podcast, Edwards-Helaire detailed how Kelce has routinely checked in on him. From Edwards-Helaire’s rookie year onward, the superstar tight end never lets a long period go by without chatting with his “GBC.”
“League-wise, there’s only two people that I’ve really like sat down and had real conversations with: Kadarius Toney and Travis Kelce. Travis is real, real heartfelt… I really look at him as a big brother… [he’s] probably been my best friend since I walked in the door. He calls me ‘GBC’: Good Brother Clyde. You know what I’m saying?”
Edwards entered the NFL during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. His transition to the pros left him without regular access to some of the folks around him at LSU, like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. Kelce filled their void, and then some, in what has become a “friendship and brotherhood [that’s] unbreakable.”
“The amount of time I was spending with Travis was unreal… and I needed somebody to lean on… the only person that would do those things and reach out [to] make sure I’m good, text me on random days, was Travis… [He’d] notice when I’m jacked up in the morning in meetings and all this other stuff… I [felt] comfortable with him.”
Kelce reposted a video of Edwards-Helaire’s podcast appearance on Twitter/X. He called the fifth-year running back “one of the strongest men” he knows.
GBC!! My good brotha for life! Y’all gotta tune into this one. One of the strongest men I know! https://t.co/KFMY9Mq15I
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) November 8, 2024
In his career, Edwards-Helaire has accumulated 2,610 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns. He has yet to play in 2024.
Why has Clyde Edwards-Helaire not played this year?
Back in 2018, when he was still a collegiate athlete, Edwards-Helaire shot and killed a man who was holding one of his friends at gunpoint. He was acting in self-defense, hence, he did not go to jail. The event, though, left him mentally scarred. He was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Edwards-Helaire revealed the incident has frequently kept him up at night. He said he frequently would only sleep “about three hours” each day and has been hospitalized for PTSD often. His placement on the non-football injury list this offseason stemmed from PTSD struggles. Now, after years of “[riding a] roller coaster“, he’s in the most solid place he has ever been as a pro.
“I’m doing a lot better than I have been these past four years… mentally, physically, everything is just on the up and up. I’d say I’m probably the healthiest I’ve been since I came into the league.”
Once he returns to the field, Edwards-Helaire could be a major asset for Kansas City. He and running back Isiah Pacheco have little tread on their tires this season. As the weather gets cold and the running game gains more importance, they could be a supplementary engine that helps take the Chiefs to their three-peat.
