Eagles' Star Jason Kelce Announces Retirement After 13 Seasons
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:03 - I know a lot happened in Pharrell Adelphi today
00:07 with Kelsey retiring after 13 seasons,
00:11 quite the press conference.
00:13 He could barely get through it.
00:15 - Pretty incredible, 41 minutes.
00:18 Now he made a decision, Scott,
00:20 that he was not gonna take questions.
00:21 He just wanted to get through this.
00:23 I know his family was in town, Travis, his mom, his agent,
00:26 and pretty interesting situation
00:29 'cause if you really look at it, Scott,
00:32 he was a six round pick.
00:33 I remember doing some reporting on this back in 2011.
00:37 He had a pentacitis at the combine.
00:40 That's why he weighed 280 pounds at just over six foot two.
00:43 And yeah, he was at athletic center,
00:45 but teams were like, what's going on with this guy?
00:47 Why is he so thin?
00:48 'Cause he went the guy around 300.
00:49 But the Eagles like what they saw.
00:51 Not only did they draft him in the sixth round,
00:53 that's half the story.
00:54 The other part of the story is
00:56 he started every game as a rookie.
00:58 He took Jamal Jackson's job.
00:59 He was the veteran center out of Delaware State.
01:01 Remember talking to Jamal about this.
01:03 He kind of knew when Howard Mudd installed Kelsey
01:05 as a starter to begin the season.
01:07 His days were numbered and he never looked back.
01:09 And Kelsey is an amazing player.
01:11 Here's a nugget for you, Scott.
01:14 It wasn't going well for Kelsey after the 15th season
01:16 after Chip Kelly was fired.
01:18 They actually made him available to be traded.
01:20 In fact, for the Eagles, they didn't wind up trading him.
01:23 Then you know what happened after that?
01:24 They kept him.
01:25 He was a star in their 17 Super Bowl run
01:27 and he's obviously gonna be a Hall of Fame or someday.
01:29 He's an incredible football player.
01:30 And by the way, he was a walk on, Scott.
01:32 A walk on at the University of Cincinnati as a linebacker
01:37 that he went to the NFL.
01:39 He'd only played center for one full season.
01:41 That was his last season at the University of Cincinnati.
01:43 - Did you think he was gonna retire
01:45 the whole time that we waited for this?
01:49 - I would say two years ago, talking to both sides,
01:51 they both thought he would, but as Jason would always say,
01:55 it depends how he felt at the end of every season.
01:57 Look, he's played with broken toes, bad ribs.
02:01 He tours ACL many years ago,
02:03 but one of the toughest players,
02:04 we know all football players are tough,
02:05 but one of the toughest players I've ever seen in my career
02:08 and a heck of a guy, and you know Philly pretty well.
02:11 When he went to the Super Bowl parade,
02:13 when he wore the Mummers uniform,
02:14 does it get any better than that?
02:16 And he's a true beloved Philadelphian
02:18 when you really look at it.
02:19 He's gonna retire, I believe in Chester County.
02:21 I grew up here.
02:24 So if you look at all the great athletes,
02:26 Allen Iverson, Dr. J, Barkley, now Barkley was traded.
02:29 Dr. J also played for the Nets.
02:31 Iverson wound up being traded as you know.
02:34 Few players in this market ever get to play
02:36 for the same team.
02:38 That's the way it is.
02:38 And Kelsey somehow played all 13 years with the Eagles.
02:42 (upbeat music)
02:45 (bells chiming)