By Bill Koch
Former UC offensive lineman Jason Kelce, whose Philadelphia Eagles will play against his brother Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the Super Bowl, is widely regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL. But when he came out of Cleveland Heights High School in 2006, he was unable to land a scholarship to a Division I school.
I wrote a story about Kelce for the Enquirer in August, 2007, Brian Kelly’s first year as head coach, when Kelce was just a former walk-on trying to learn a new position.
A few months earlier, Kelce had been awarded a scholarship after he was named Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker.
"It was like, let’s beat him up and let the starters get some work,” Kelce said.
Now Kelly was asking him to switch Kelce was happy to oblige. He was also a little confused.
“My first reaction was, ‘Am I doing that bad at linebacker?” Kelce told me when I talked to him at Camp Higher Ground in West Harrison, Ind.
Kelly had good reasons for asking Kelce to switch.
“He’s 275, 285 pounds,” Kelly said, “athletic, strong, and he can move his feet. He’s the first one of the kind of guys we want across the front.”
Kelce was 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, having added 40 pounds in three months in preparation for the move.
“I just ate everything and lifted like crazy,” he said.
At first, snapping the ball was a challenge. It wasn’t unusual to see a football sail over the head of the quarterback or to hear Kelce get verbally blasted by Kelly.
As a linebacker in high school, Kelce was named the Lake Erie League’s Defensive Most Valuable Player. He also served as primarily a blocking back on offense, but averaged 9.0 yards when he was called on to carry the ball. He had scholarship offers from Division I-AA and Division II schools, but turned them down because he was determined to play in D-I.
“I thought I was good enough,” Kelce said. “My dad told me, ‘We’ll pay for a year or two of school if we need to.’”
When the scholarship didn’t come right away, his dad suggested that he transfer to another school if UC didn’t appreciate him. But Kelce said he liked UC and wanted to earn his scholarship there.
“When I told him that I was getting a scholarship, it was kind of, ‘In your face,’ Kelce said, laughing. ‘I told you I’d get it done.’”
Sixteen years later, in his 12th NFL season, Kelce is the highest-paid center in the NFL, making more than $11 million this year. He has been named first-team All-Pro five times and has been voted to six Pro Bowls. Sunday, he’ll be looking for his second ring with the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots in 2018.
Seeing good guys like Kelce have such great success is of the things I liked the most about covering college athletics.
Former UC offensive lineman Jason Kelce, whose Philadelphia Eagles will play against his brother Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the Super Bowl, is widely regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL. But when he came out of Cleveland Heights High School in 2006, he was unable to land a scholarship to a Division I school.
I wrote a story about Kelce for the Enquirer in August, 2007, Brian Kelly’s first year as head coach, when Kelce was just a former walk-on trying to learn a new position.
A few months earlier, Kelce had been awarded a scholarship after he was named Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker.
"It was like, let’s beat him up and let the starters get some work,” Kelce said.
Now Kelly was asking him to switch Kelce was happy to oblige. He was also a little confused.
“My first reaction was, ‘Am I doing that bad at linebacker?” Kelce told me when I talked to him at Camp Higher Ground in West Harrison, Ind.
Kelly had good reasons for asking Kelce to switch.
“He’s 275, 285 pounds,” Kelly said, “athletic, strong, and he can move his feet. He’s the first one of the kind of guys we want across the front.”
Kelce was 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, having added 40 pounds in three months in preparation for the move.
“I just ate everything and lifted like crazy,” he said.
At first, snapping the ball was a challenge. It wasn’t unusual to see a football sail over the head of the quarterback or to hear Kelce get verbally blasted by Kelly.
As a linebacker in high school, Kelce was named the Lake Erie League’s Defensive Most Valuable Player. He also served as primarily a blocking back on offense, but averaged 9.0 yards when he was called on to carry the ball. He had scholarship offers from Division I-AA and Division II schools, but turned them down because he was determined to play in D-I.
“I thought I was good enough,” Kelce said. “My dad told me, ‘We’ll pay for a year or two of school if we need to.’”
When the scholarship didn’t come right away, his dad suggested that he transfer to another school if UC didn’t appreciate him. But Kelce said he liked UC and wanted to earn his scholarship there.
“When I told him that I was getting a scholarship, it was kind of, ‘In your face,’ Kelce said, laughing. ‘I told you I’d get it done.’”
Sixteen years later, in his 12th NFL season, Kelce is the highest-paid center in the NFL, making more than $11 million this year. He has been named first-team All-Pro five times and has been voted to six Pro Bowls. Sunday, he’ll be looking for his second ring with the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots in 2018.
Seeing good guys like Kelce have such great success is of the things I liked the most about covering college athletics.
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