OVERVIEW
In high school, Kelce was a three sport star, but his best sport was always football. He was a three-year letter winner at quarterback, and earned All-Lake Erie League honors after totaling 2,539 yards of total offense and 31 total touchdowns as a senior. Kelce’s uncle Don Blalock played football at Purdue and grandfather Don Blalock played football at Ohio. Travis is the younger brother of former Cincinnati Bearcats and current Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
In his first year on campus, Travis redshirted. In his redshirt freshman year, Kelce participated in 11 games as the tight end. He caught one pass for three yards. Kelce also played some quarterback, strictly in a Wildcat role. He logged eight carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Kelce did not play in 2010, as he was suspended for a violation of team rules. Upon his return in 2011, Kelce caught 13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior season, Kelce put himself on the NFL prospect map, as he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the All-Big East first team for his play.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Kelce has an ideal tight end frame. Athletic for his size, with great strength, and the ability to stretch the field vertically. Very physical run blocker, generates power from the lower half, and will move defenders off the ball. Plays with leverage. Wide catching radius, can adjust and make the difficult catch. Tough to bring down after the catch. Light feet, and has lined up in numerous different positions.
WEAKNESSES Suspended for an entire season for violating team rules. Only one season of production. Doesn't have blazing speed. Not a tremendously explosive athlete. Doesn't come out of his breaks all that well.
NFL COMPARISON Rob Gronkowski
BOTTOM LINE Kelce has been a tremendous run blocker throughout his career for the Bearcats, but really elevated his game as a receiver in his senior season. He isn't a tremendous athlete, but he does a lot of things very well. It's a deep tight end class, but Kelce's play suggests that he should be highly sought after. [Reply]
That's what Kelce said to his mom after the superbowl. It could be that last year was all he had left. Or it could be that the injuries he picked up early this season are bigger than we thought. Either way things are different with him right now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk:
His focus is in other areas these days…
Seriously, he seems to have one foot out the door. The weekly New Heights podcast, the TS stuff, seems like he’s setting up a post-career path. And I don’t blame him.
IIRC in that WSJ profile he talked about thinking about retirement, and Tim Grunhard said when you’re thinking about retirement, you’re already there.
Maybe he’ll will himself to another season, but it wouldn’t shock me if he hangs it up. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Delano:
When Kelce slammed his helmet on the ground, it damn near ricocheted into the stands. An equipment guy grabbed it and hid it a Kelce paced the sidelines. When the O staged up to go back out there, Kelce is searching frantically for the helmet and the equipment guy said no. Reid had told them that Kelce wasn’t going back out. Reid literally yelled at him loud enough to be heard on the sideline: “well then don’t throw your helmet!”
Just a bad look for Trav.
At least he cares. He should be frustrated. I like it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sure-Oz:
Kelce has been banged up all year and is frustrated. I'm hoping he will want to play one more year if not more.
Yep. He lacks the explosiveness that he had in the past. We just do not have any playmakers. No one who scares teams. No one even if a bad play is called can bail out the offense. No one who can over come a stupid penalty. [Reply]
Travis has effectively played an entire extra season since the beginning of the Mahomes era. Pat has also, of course. That's at least one less month to rest/recover every offseason for those two, plus Nnadi and CJ. Maybe one or two others?
And Travis is 34. And we've seen him kind of slow down every season for the last two or three seasons around Week 14 or so already.
Bottom line, he's not a spring chicken anymore. Management should've been planning for this for a couple years now, and they didn't. So here we are. [Reply]
I wonder if he gets to another 1000 yard season. Sitting on 924 now. Week 18 might not matter so perhaps he gets rest. Right now 76 yards seems like a bit of a tall order.
Originally Posted by Brooklyn:
I wonder if he gets to another 1000 yard season. Sitting on 924 now. Week 18 might not matter so perhaps he gets rest. Right now 76 yards seems like a bit of a tall order.
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I'm fine with him sitting week 18. We need him as fresh as possible for the playoffs [Reply]
Originally Posted by Shields68:
Yep. He lacks the explosiveness that he had in the past. We just do not have any playmakers. No one who scares teams. No one even if a bad play is called can bail out the offense. No one who can over come a stupid penalty.
Kelce will be a lot better when they fix this WR group next season. I still think he's a great TE but he can't do it alone anymore with the age and injuries. I really hope kelce gives us another great playoff run [Reply]
Originally Posted by Brooklyn:
I wonder if he gets to another 1000 yard season. Sitting on 924 now. Week 18 might not matter so perhaps he gets rest. Right now 76 yards seems like a bit of a tall order.
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Those are last weeks stats. After today he is at 968 per NFL.com. [Reply]
As soon as we clinch, Travis needs to be put on ice until the playoffs. Hes as important as Mahomes is and he's much more injury prone at his position and age. [Reply]