Travis Kelce, renowned as the Kansas City Chiefs’ standout tight end and gaining additional fame as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, has secured notable success in the NFL, including Super Bowl titles and various accolades. However, his journey to football stardom wasn’t initially his primary ambition.
In a recent podcast episode alongside his brother, Kelce candidly disclosed his original aspirations, shedding light on the lesser-known facets of his career and providing insights into the goals he initially set before carving his name in the NFL circuit.
Travis’ West Virginia basketball ambitions unveiled
Travis Kelce disclosed on his podcast, New Heights, that he aspired to play basketball in West Virginia, not football. In a podcast segment with his brother, Jason, Travis considered alternative career routes if Cincinnati wasn’t an option.
Jason noted that West Virginia was Travis’ true preference, emphasizing his desire to go there even before the discussion about alternative routes.
Travis shared his admiration for Coach Bob Huggins, expressing that he wanted to play basketball at West Virginia specifically because of Huggins.
“West Virginia was where I wanted to play basketball,” said Travis. “I wanted to play for coach Bob Huggins, the legendary Huggy, Huggy bear. Cincinnati Bearcat legend, he actually played at West Virginia then coached there for such a long time.”
Despite uncertainty about attending WVU even with a full scholarship initially, Travis fell in love with Huggins’ coaching style and program. The TE expressed deep admiration for Huggins’ coaching philosophy and work ethic, factors that influenced his decision more than a scholarship offer.
“I’m not even sure I would have went there if I would have had a full scholarship the first year I went. Either way I fell in love with how coach Huggins ran his program and knew he was a kind of a coach that I would respect and want to play for.”
The TE ultimately chose Cincinnati, a rival to West Virginia and the hometown of Coach Huggins, diverting from his dream of playing basketball at WVU. Travis Kelce transitioned from quarterback to tight end during his time at Cincinnati, eventually finding success in the NFL.
While Travis couldn’t fulfill his dream of playing basketball at West Virginia, his journey led him to a successful career in football, showcasing his adaptability and talent as a tight end.
Travis Kelce’s unique flair shines with Taylor Swift-themed bracelets
The NFL celebrated Travis Kelce’s romance with Taylor Swift in a cartoon graphic promoting Christmas Day Games for Nickelodeon’s NFL on Nickmas. In the cartoon, Travis Kelce is depicted wearing his No. 87 jersey, sitting next to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and stringing together beads for friendship bracelets.
The post accompanying the graphic asked fans to spot all the Easter eggs and encouraged them to unwrap surprises during the Christmas Day NFL special.
Taylor Swift’s fanbase, known as Swifties, brought lyrics from her song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” to life by creating and trading beaded, Swift-themed friendship bracelets at her concerts.
The trend of making and trading Swift-themed bracelets became a sartorial staple at Taylor Swift’s concerts. In July, Travis Kelce was spotted at Taylor Swift’s concert, attending from his private box at Arrowhead Stadium and trading friendship bracelets with fans in Kansas City.
Travis Kelce shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he had planned to give Taylor Swift his phone number on a friendship bracelet at the concert but missed the opportunity. He expressed disappointment that Swift doesn’t talk before or after shows due to preserving her voice for her extensive performances.
In December, Taylor Swift mentioned in TIME that she found it “metal as hell” that Travis Kelce put her on blast on his podcast. Swift revealed that she and Kelce started hanging out right after the podcast revelation, and they had a significant amount of time that remained unknown to the public, allowing them to get to know each other.
Now, their love story has made its way to the halls of Harvard and the couple is planning to spend Christmas together at the upcoming Chiefs games.
