Legendary Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has hardly had a moment to think over the last few years. Three straight Super Bowl appearances, trips to the White House, a $100 million podcast, and dating one of the most famous women on the planet have all kept him busy.
That list could go on, with the player taking on several other off-field ventures, but his recent cover interview with Sean Manning from GQ was a far calmer affair. During the conversation, Kelce admitted to getting emotional during a pre-draft interview with one team before eventually being drafted by the Chiefs in 2013.
Travis Kelce Opens Up on Teary Exchange with AFC Head Coach in 2013 Pre-Draft Interview
Every player’s NFL career is full of “what if” moments that could have completely changed the trajectory of their lives. One such moment that every NFL player shares is the NFL Draft, with the young athletes having very little to no say in which teams they start their professional careers with.
Kelce has shone in Kansas City, with three Super Bowl wins, 10 Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections, and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s team. The future Hall of Famer is so synonymous with the Chiefs’ recent dominance of the NFL that it’s incredible to think he initially wanted to play for another team.
Travis Kelce has secured the most receiving touchdowns in Chiefs HISTORY!@NFL | @Chiefs | #KCvsPIT pic.twitter.com/EvfWEwRKgj
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 25, 2024
More unthinkable is that the team Kelce wanted to play for was the Cleveland Browns, whom he and his brother Jason Kelce supported growing up. In the feature interview with GQ, Kelce even admitted to crying during his pre-draft interview with then-Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski.
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“I cried in Chud’s office and said, ‘I will f*****g die for this city!’ ” he said. “I literally was in tears. I said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m getting emotional. I grew up down the street. I would f*****g do anything to play for the Cleveland Browns.’ He looked at me like I was insane. I don’t think he’d ever had somebody just pour out their emotions.”
Kelce was desperate for the Browns to draft him then, and the team may have been lining him up for their third-round pick. However, in a “sliding doors” moment, the Chiefs took Kelce five spots ahead of the Browns, with the first pick of the third round.
The Browns have made the playoffs just twice since then, and recorded a remarkable 0-16 season in 2017. Over the course of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons, Cleveland had a total points differential of -518, while Kelce made his first three Pro Bowls with the Chiefs.
While the Browns are expected to struggle again in 2025, Kelce has another Super Bowl in his sights before a potential retirement in 2026.
