Where did Chiefs TE Travis Kelce play college football? From Cincinnati star to Super Bowl
Earlier this season, Travis Kelce etched himself further into the Kansas City Chiefs record book when he surpassed Tony Gonzalez as the franchise's all-time touchdown receptions record holder.
Kelce, who is dating megastar Taylor Swift, now looks to further cement his legacy with a much larger NFL record in Sunday's Super Bowl 59 — one that would likely solidify his status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Fresh off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, the 35-year-old tight end will look to help the Chiefs become the first team to three-peat as Super Bowl champions when Kansas City takes on the Philadelphia Eagles at 6:30 p.m. ET in Super Bowl 59.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat, who was taken in the third round of the 2013 draft, is appearing in his fifth Super Bowl of his 11-year NFL career. He enters Sunday's game 41 yards away from reaching 1,000 receiving yards in a season (regular season and postseason combined) for the 10th time in his career.
Ahead of Super Bowl 59, here's a look back at where Kelce went to college, including a look at his stats in the NFL and in college:
Where did Travis Kelce play college football?
Travis Kelce played for the University of Cincinnati, where he was a member of the Bearcats for five seasons. He redshirted his true freshman season in 2008 and played his redshirt freshman season in 2009 alongside his older brother, former All-Pro NFL center Jason Kelce. Travis Kelce finished with just one catch for three yards that season, adding two rushing touchdowns.
The Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native then spent the 2010 season away from the Bearcats after testing positive for marijuana – a violation of team rules – at the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Travis Kelce has credited his brother for his second chance in college and later in the NFL numerous times in different interviews. Jason, who played his entire NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, went into the Cincinnati coaches office and convinced then-Bearcats coach Butch Jones to give Travis his spot back on the team.
"My brother came in like he was Superman," Kelce said in an ESPN piece before Super Bowl 57. "I don't know what he told them (or) don't know what he said."
Travis Kelce bounced back across the 2011 and 2012 seasons for the Bearcats, with the latter of the two ending with a career-high 45 receptions for 722 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The Chiefs drafted him in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Travis Kelce NFL stats
Here's a look at Travis Kelce's stats this season for the Chiefs, including the postseason:
- Receptions: 106
- Receiving yards: 959 yards
- Touchdowns: Four
Travis Kelce college stats
Travis Kelce, who was a two-star recruit coming out of high school per 247Sports' composite rankings, finished with 59 receptions for 875 receiving yards and 12 combined touchdowns during his career at Cincinnati.
The Bearcats went 32-7 overall in the three seasons that Travis Kelce played in. He was named to the All-Big East First Team in 2012 after putting up career-high numbers on the gridiron.
Here's a season-by-season breakdown of Travis Kelce's stats at Cincinnati:
- 2009: 1 reception for three yards; 8 carries for 47 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns
- 2010: Suspended
- 2011: 13 receptions for 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns
- 2012: 45 receptions for 722 receiving yards and eight touchdowns
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for Paste BN's 4th and Monday newsletter.