Getty Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce has played through many tough injuries during his 10-year NFL career.
What’s in a name? That which we call an All-Pro center. By any other name would smell as sweet.
Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce has lined up every Sunday in midnight green for a decade. The 33-year-old will have his number retired whenever he decides to hang up his cleats, maybe he’ll get a gold jacket from Canton. They should put the speech in there, too.
Meanwhile, Kelce’s teammates have long referred to him as “Kels” but is that the proper way to say his last name? His brother Travis appeared on a Barstool Sports podcast where he declared that the correct pronunciation is “Kels” and not “Kel-see.” Immediately, jaws dropped to the floor around the Philly region.
Then Jason jumped on SportsRadio 94WIP Philadelphia to clear up the name controversy. Turns out, there is a story behind the mixup that dates back to his dad’s days working at the steel mills in Cleveland, Ohio.
Please tell me you are kidding @tkelce is my whole life a lie???
First question, what’s the correct pronunciation?
“You got it right, it’s Kel-see,” Jason told James Seltzer and Jon Ritchie. “I’ll give you the story behind why my brother said that.”
Go on, Jason.
“My brother and I have gone by Kel-see our entire lives,” Jason said, “and I still remember my dad answering the phone as Ed Kel-see all growing up when he was on work calls and everything so our side of the family has always gone by Kel-see but we have a really small family. We don’t have any first cousins, my grandfather on that side was dead before I was born so somehow we got so disconnected with that side that my dad at some point when he was working in the steel mills in Cleveland, Ohio, got tired of correcting everyone who was calling him Kel-see. Apparently the correct pronunciation, the standard pronunciation is Kels, that the rest of the family goes by.”
Jason continued: “So my dad out of pure laziness completely changed his last name. And now I think we’re both at the point where we’re riding with Ed Kel-see. For some reason, he decided to change it and that’s what we’ve gone by our whole lives, so we’re kind of separate from the rest of the family in that regard which we’ve gotten plenty of messages and texts since we’ve become NFL players, extended family members all over the world that have told us ‘You’re pronouncing the name wrong!’ That’s the story.”
Wow, there you have it. After 11 years you think you know someone, right?
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Harold Carmichael Ready for Canton
Harold Carmichael held 11 franchise records when he retired in 1984, yet the national recognition for his greatness took almost 40 years to sink in. Finally, after seeing his initial enshrinement ceremony delayed due to COVID-19, the 71-year-old former Eagles receiver will get his gold jacket.
Carmichael is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 7 and he expects the party to be well worth the wait.
“There was nothing else for me to do but wait,” Carmichael told reporters, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I couldn’t do it on my own. I had to wait. It’s been a very trying time waiting. Again, waited over 35 years. One more year didn’t hurt me.”
#FlyEaglesFly: The wait is almost over for Harold Carmichael
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