Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce returned to where his football career took shape Saturday, joining older brother Jason Kelce in Cincinnati ahead of the Chiefs’ 2026 regular season.
The Kelce brothers attended Cincinnati’s home opener against Boston College, bringing both former Bearcats back to their alma mater. The appearance came as Jason prepares for another major honor from the university where he began his path to the NFL.
Cincinnati announced in August that Jason had been selected for the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its 50th Anniversary Class. The former Philadelphia Eagles center’s official induction is scheduled for Oct. 23.
For Travis, Saturday’s return also brought him back to a program where he experienced some of the most important early lessons of his football career before becoming one of the NFL’s most accomplished tight ends.
Travis Kelce Returns to Cincinnati After Jason Kelce Reflected on Difficult College Year
Both brothers built their football foundations at Cincinnati.
Jason played for the Bearcats from 2006 through 2010, initially arriving as a walk-on linebacker before becoming a three-year starter on the offensive line. He earned All-BIG EAST honors twice before beginning his NFL career with Philadelphia.
Travis followed his older brother to Cincinnati and played for the Bearcats from 2008 through 2012. Kansas City later selected him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
His path through Cincinnati, however, included a major setback. Travis lost his scholarship and spent the 2010 season away from the team after failing a drug test.
Years later, Jason explained during an appearance on “Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen” why he believes that difficult period ultimately played an important role in his brother’s development.
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“I think one of the best things that happened for Travis was to get suspended for a year … was him to get kicked off the team,” Jason said.
Jason said setbacks involving injuries and other challenges forced Travis to learn lessons early in his career that ultimately helped him move forward.
“I think it’s really easy sometimes to look at those things as negatives, and they are in the moment, like it sucks, but ultimately it’s only a negative if you allow it to stop you,” Jason said.
Travis eventually returned to the Bearcats and put himself back on an NFL track, beginning the professional career that has kept him with Kansas City since 2013.
Jason Kelce’s Cincinnati Throwbacks Sparked a Different Kind of College Memory
The brothers have also recently revisited their Cincinnati years in a much lighter way.
During an episode of their “New Heights” podcast, Jason shared throwback photos from his college playing days that showed him without the thick beard that has become part of his recognizable look.
“I just hate the way my face looks without a beard,” Jason told Travis while looking back at the photos.
One image showed Jason talking to teammates in a huddle.
“Is that what I look like when I’m yelling?” he asked. “Is that how it always looks?”
Jason also revealed an unusual grooming technique he used at the time.
“That was back when I used to just take my razor, and that’s how I trim my eyebrows,” he said. “I would just go straight across my eyebrows. So they ended up being super thin and not having any shape.”
Catches up with Former Chiefs Safety Bryan Cook. ❤️
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Travis told him he “would’ve never guessed,” before adding, “But they are definitely way thinner than what they are now.”
The conversation prompted Travis to reveal one of his own college grooming experiments. He said he once tried shaving his chest, only to find that “it grew back so fast.” He then attempted waxing, which left his chest “bloody and patchy” with scabs.
“So I just gave up,” Travis said.
Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, has made it clear she prefers his current look. During an episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Kylie said she has never seen her husband’s bare chin in person.
“I’ve never met his chin, I’ve never seen his chin in person,” Kylie said. “We’ve never met. Rumor has it that there’s a little bit of the butt chin under there. I don’t know though; I’ve never met it. That’d be kind of fun to find out.”
Travis Kelce Takes Surprise Trip With Brother Jason Days Before Chiefs’ NFL Opener