Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Center Century
Poised for 100th straight start, Kelce stays true to himself
There is no more popular pair of brothers getting it done in the NFL right now than Jason and Travis Kelce.
All-Pro Eagles center Jason Kelce leads all NFC pivots in the fan balloting for the Pro Bowl with 40,358 votes. Travis Kelce, the All-Pro tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs, is fourth in the entire fan balloting with 127,868 votes.
With the Kelces, durability is as important as ability. You can count on them week in and week out.
Jason Kelce is slated to make his 100th straight regular season start, tops among active centers, when the Eagles oppose the Seattle Seahawks Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Travis Kelce is second in the league among active tight ends with 42 straight regular season starts. Kyle Rudolph (91) tops that list. Travis Kelce leads all tight ends and is ninth in the league with 66 receptions for 896 yards (13.6 ypr.) to go with seven touchdowns.
Jason Kelce has created a ton of yardage for Eagles running backs Miles Sanders and Boston Scott with a variety of blocks that bring a smile to the face of Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham.
You don’t want to see Jason Kelce heading your way any more than his brother Travis, one of the most athletic big players in the game.
“He’s mad one minute then he’s happy the next,” Graham said of Jason. “But what I love is he’s always got that edge when he’s on the field. Obviously you see it in his play. He’s great in space. Some of the plays he’s made, I’m amazed that he can take out three or four guys just on a screen. That’s when I knew he was going to be good when I saw him on a screen. You don’t want to be on the other end of Jason Kelce when he’s out there in space.”
There are two kinds of hurt for Jason. There is the pain you get when, say, you hyperextend your elbow, as he did last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and refused to go to the medical tent, claiming he already knew what the injury was so what was the point?
Kelce returned to play the second half in a protective sleeve on the left elbow that was so tight, he enlisted teammate Isaac Seumalo to buckle his helmet for him. Kelce’s biggest challenge was at the beginning of the consecutive games streak during the 2014 season, right after surgery for a sports hernia.
“My core didn’t feel right all year,” Kelce said. “When that’s not working the way it should it affects everything from power to speed to quickness to sneezing or laughing.”
The other acute pain the 33-year-old Kelce has played through is failure of his football team. The Eagles’ 3-6-1 start evokes memories of the failures of latter Andy Reid and Chip Kelly seasons.
“I’ve been through losing seasons before,” Kelce said. “I’ve been through Andy’s last season here. I’ve been through Chip Kelly’s tenure going down the drain. I think integrity is often tested in times of adversity. A leader, in my opinion, they hold up through the times of adversity with who they are as individuals. They stay true to themselves, they stay true to what they believe to be right and wrong. When times get tough, guys expose themselves for who they are and what they believe in and what their values are. You find out a lot about people through times like this and through adversity.”
Kelce believes Eagles players and coaches have the character to bounce back in this disastrous season. Doug Pederson does, too, perhaps because he has players like Kelce.
“He’s somebody that does things right all the time,” Pederson said of Jason. “His game may not be perfect each week, but this guy, he practices, he plays hurt, he gives of himself for his teammates. He’s a great leader, not only in the offensive line room but I think on this football team. It’s one of the reasons I make him a captain every year and the team respects that and the team looks at that. I’ve never really been around a player, an offensive lineman of his caliber that does what he does day in and day out.”
The streak is an afterthought to Kelce, who is weary of looking at his own career mortality. The numbers that bother him are 3, 6 and 1. Additionally, there’s No. 11, or if you prefer, beleaguered Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.
“You just try to be available and do your job and I’ve been fortunate to be able to do that,” Kelce said. “Obviously, injury rates in this league are pretty substantial. I’ve been pretty lucky not to have injuries over that 100 games that would sit me down. All you can do is go out there and do what’s asked of you and try to support your teammates. I think everybody’s just trying to do their part just a little bit better.
“Carson takes the brunt of criticism because he’s the main guy at the position that determines wins and losses. He’s an incredible teammate. He’s an incredible person; works his tail off and fights with everything he has. You just keep trying to hang in there and keep fighting and trying to figure things out.”
••• NOTES » The Eagles got Thanksgiving off, although they still had to report for their COVID-19 tests. They return to work Friday. … On the latest injury report, Lane Johnson (ankle/shoulder) and Rudy Ford (hamstring) did not practice. Listed as limited were Derek Barnett (knee), Jack Driscoll (knee), Kelce (elbow), Scott (abdomen) and Alex Singleton (ankle). … The Eagles placed cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc on injured reserve and signed cornerback Jameson Houston to their practice squad. Defensive end Genard Avery is in his 21-day practice window.