Future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce recently announced his intentions to retire after the Eagles’ early exit from the playoffs, following a loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This brought tears to the eyes of NFL fans, as Jason is one of the most beloved players in the league.
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Jason started his NFL career in 2011 under Andy Reid. After playing 193 games, Jason will retire as one of the greatest centers in league history. However, playing as a center wasn’t always his preferred position growing up in Cleveland Heights; he played both sides of the ball as a running back and a linebacker for Cleveland Heights High School.
Despite being short for a typical linebacker, Jason excelled in the position. He also played as a rusher and averaged 9.5 yards per carry in high school. However, his talents were overshadowed by the perception that he belonged to a D2 college level. So despite his outstanding performance, Jason didn’t receive a single D1 scholarship, entering the college as a zero-star recruit. Even though he went on to play for a D1 school, the University of Cincinnati, he was a walk on the team and played without a scholarship.
In Jason’s first year, his coach, Dantonio, who asked him to join the university as a walk-in, departed for a better job in Michigan, leaving Brian Kelly as his replacement. Kelly, impressed by Jason’s hard work ethic, requested that he switch positions, as the head coach was going to use a new pro-style offense in a shotgun formation that would require more athletic linemen, as per the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Recognizing Jason’s potential, Kelly and his coaching staff believed that the youngster would be perfect for it. They were certainly right, as the positional shift earned him an athletic scholarship, making it worthwhile to play in the positions for which he had no prior experience.
The Super Bowl LII winner spent the next season in college as a center and a guard before spending the following two seasons as the starting left guard. He eventually finished college as the starting center. As fate would have it, Jason was then drafted by the Eagles in the 6th round and ended up becoming a starter in his first year.
Jason Kelce Started Playing For the Eagles 13 Years Ago
The seven-time Pro Bowler was drafted by none other than current Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Reid, like Kelly before him, recognized Jason’s potential, immediately naming him a starter in his first week with the team. He went on to play 16 games that season. Over the next 12 seasons, the NFL witnessed Kelce break numerous records and deliver Hall of Fame-worthy performances.
He became only the third center since 1970 to be named All-Pro First Team more than 5 times in their career. Additionally, Jason earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl 7 times and won the Super Bowl in 2018. He also holds the record for the most consecutive game starts in the Eagles’ history at 156. The former Bearcats star has played over 14,000 snaps in his 13-year career, but he has given up only 19 total sacks and 35 QB hits.
Even though there has been no official announcement about his retirement, it seems imminent, and, as per Jason, he won’t be dragging it out. During his recent appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, Jason expressed that he wasn’t in any position to make the announcement after the game. There were too many emotions involved. He just wants to announce it in his own way and at his own time, as it would mean that Jason would be able to pay respects to everyone who helped him in his career. He said,
“I didn’t announce what I was doing, despite what’s being leaked to the media. I just don’t think you are in a position after a game like that to really make that decision. There is too much emotion at the moment to really fully grasp that decision. I am not trying to be dramatic and continue to draw this thing out,” followed by, “It’s just something that I think you know when it’s time to officially announce in the future. It will done in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me.”
Jason Kelce might be hoping for a better ending than he got. He and his Eagles lost to Tampa Bay, the No. 7 seed in the league. Kelce will retire as one of the best centers of all time in the NFL and will surely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Not bad for a kid who was a zero-star recruit and played as a rusher in high school.
