Jason Kelce has always marched to the beat of his own drum, refusing to conform to the norm. Whether it’s ripping his shirt off in freezing weather while chugging a beer or openly admitting he doesn’t wash his feet regularly, he does things his way. Now, you can add another quirk to the list—he hated stretching his quads at halftime during the Super Bowl.
Advertisement
During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason spoke his mind about the slightly longer half-time during the Super Bowl and how players and coaches are usually expected to do extra in that time.
Kelce said while he didn’t oppose doing some things during half-time, he doesn’t agree with doing mundane things like stretching.
“I don’t know if I’m just so anti-organized have me do anything on game day. They are like we need to stretch at this and do this. It’s ten more minutes. I’m pretty sure I’m not getting cold down. I’m going to eat my un-crustables and get my mind right for the 2nd half. I don’t need you to tell me to stretch my quads.”
He wants the team to focus more on the game plan and talk about it during that extra ten minutes they get during the Super Bowl. Talking about what plays you are going to run is more important than something trivial, such as stretching. Jason wants everyone to just hydrate themselves, eat a snack, and do a light jogging to the field.
The former Eagles Center admitted that he is anti-stretching in general, calling it overrated. Well, he has a couple of incidences to prove that stretching didn’t work for him. Kelce stated that he tried yoga twice in his life, thinking extra flexibility and mobility would be helpful for him. However, he ended up pulling a muscle on both occasions.
He confidently believes he is right on this subject as he bragged about holding the Eagles record for most consecutive starts in his career.
Having played in more Super Bowls than his brother, where does Travis Kelce stand when it comes to stretching?
Travis Kelce doesn’t indulge in stretching but advises others too
With more Super Bowl appearances and wins than Jason, Travis Kelce also believes players put too much emphasis on the 15-minute halftime break. Personally, he doesn’t feel the need to overthink it, though he understands why others do—especially those who thrive on structure.
He sees structured routines as more beneficial for rookies or players experiencing their first Super Bowl. The Chiefs tight end admitted that during his first Super Bowl, he stuck to a plan and did some stretching. But by his next appearance, Travis knew what to expect and no longer felt the need to follow a strict routine—he understood his body, his rhythm, and what worked best for him.
“In the grand scheme of things, people do like structure. I think it helps guys in their first couple of years or at least it did in my first Super Bowl to just relax, and understand. They gave me something to do but did I stretch next time- no. I understood what I’m capable of doing. I didn’t do a lot of stuff I did my first year.”
Now being a veteran and leader, he focuses on making sure everyone is comfortable and in the right mindset. Having learned from his experiences of both winning and losing, he wants to mentally prepare his new teammates on what to expect, how to manage emotions, and how to deal if they face adversity.
Both Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce agreed that mental preparation is more important in the Super Bowl but the Chiefs TE was more open and empathetic. Players need to do what works for them- do the stretching or not is up to them. Just make sure you are equipped to deal with anything that comes at you and if you are not, lean on your teammates for support.
