If you’re like me, obsessed with Taylor Swift, you’re probably wondering who this new guy she’s been hanging out with is. So, here is everything you need to know:
Travis Kelce is a 33-year-old football player, playing his tenth season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was born outside of Cleveland on Oct. 5, 1989, making him the same age as Swift. He had a successful high school career and went on to play football at the University of Cincinnati from 2008 until 2012.
In 2013, he was selected in the NFL draft to play for the Chiefs and was signed to a four-year rookie contract. After his first season with a knee injury, he began to make a name for himself playing 16 out of 17 games, starting in 11 of them and ending his second season as the leading receiver for the Chiefs. Since then he has signed two more contracts and we can expect to see him play for the Chiefs through 2025. He is also currently ranked as the number one tight end in the NFL.
Kelce has helped bring the Chiefs to the Super Bowl three times in his career, the most recent was this year, when Travis faced his own brother, Jason Kelce, a center on the Philadelphia Eagles. The brotherly rivalry was covered during the Super Bowl and their mom, Donna Kelce, went viral for her custom-made jacket she wore when attending the game.
The Kelces aren’t new to the spotlight and have been good PR for the NFL in the past few years due to their more normal and relatable Midwestern family dynamic. Travis starred on the reality TV show, “Catching Kelce,” as an eligible bachelor, and in the Amazon Prime documentary, “Kelce.” The brothers also started a podcast in 2022 entitled, “New Heights.”
It’s safe to say that Travis Kelce’s career has been very successful without any help from Swift. It seems that his recent sightings with Swift has introduced him to an entirely new market that the NFL — and everybody else — is running with.
Since the Sept. 24 game, Kelce’s #87 jersey sales have spiked 400 percent, he’s gained 900 thousand new Instagram followers, tickets sales surged Chiefs-Jets game, causing prices to rise and viewership of the Chiefs-Jets game saw a massive increase, especially in ages 18 to 24. It was the most watched football game since Super Bowl Sunday.
The Taylor Swift Effect is in full swing; the Swifties have taken action and the sports and entertainment industries are colliding. For me, it means that I have something in common with my dad for once. For others it could be their first time with an interest in football. But what does this mean for Kelce and his career? Will the Chiefs successfully defend their title as Super Bowl Champions?
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely. The team that wins the Super Bowl hardly ever makes it to the playoff round the following year. But this is a good thing. There is no one dominating team in the NFL. With the support of Swift and the new publicity she’s brought, the Chiefs will put up a good fight. The added pressure of celebrities attending the games and higher viewership could work in their favor — motivating them to work even harder than they already do.
