Kelce’s ‘New Heights’ celebrates Cincinnati roots
Jason Kelce played his last game at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium on Dec. 4, 2010. It was an unimpressive 28-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers, capping off an unimpressive 4-8 season for first-year coach Butch Jones.
Kelce’s life took a dramatic upswing from there as the former walk-on running back, turned-linebacker, turnedoffensive lineman and eventual center became a sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring of 2011.
Thursday night, Jason and his brother Travis returned to their alma mater for a live version of their “New Heights” podcast in front of more than 12,500 fans at Fifth Third Arena.
“I’m honored to be back,” Jason Kelce said. “It’s crazy that we’ve been put in positions to do stuff like this.”
Jason Kelce played in and started 193 games for the Eagles, and he won a Super Bowl and the hearts of Eagle fans by dancing among the revelers as a Mummer (a Philadelphia New Year’s parade costume tradition). He made seven Pro Bowls, and outside of Rocky Balboa’s step-sprinting, he may have given the Art Museum one of its finest moments.
The fabled jacket remains in his house. Should he get to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, it could reappear.
“It’s in a trash bag in my basement,” Kelce said. “They (the Hall) asked for it actually. They asked it if they could hang it up. I wanted to hang onto it. It’s been in my basement since 2018.”
Kelce’s in the (UC) house
Jason and Trave Kelce came from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, thus the “New Heights” podcast name.
Now, Jason has been part of a Netflix documentary produced by former Bearcats and Eagles teammate Connor Barwin and has a top Apple and Spotify podcast with Travis, who has his own claims to fame on the field and off.
“Any time we come back, there’s such a wave of emotion and memories,” Kelce said. “As a student-athlete, you’re just so invested. You’re here non-stop.”
Kelce spoke from the UC offensive line room in the Lindner Center where hours of tape and discussion took place during his playing days. Before the night’s event, the Bearcat coaches had him talk to their current line. In typical Kelce fashion, he gave an unscripted sermon on how getting low can take you to “New Heights.”
Anthony Di Fino, the University of Cincinnati’s Deputy AD for External Relations, raved at how the Bearcat staff was able to take a show scheduled outdoors at Nippert Stadium indoors to Fifth Third Arena to avoid expected bad weather.
“We pulled the switcheroo in 36 hours but for all of the right reasons,” Di Fino said. “Generally, we like a year-plus to plan something like this. I think we got it done in eight weeks.”
Mack Sovereign, Chief Content Officer of Wave Sports + Entertainment enjoyed being in Cincinnati where the Kelces’ rise to stardom began. He actually saw some of it firsthand. As a member of Duke’s football team, he witnessed Travis Kelce’s go-ahead touchdown in the 2012 Belk Bowl in Charlotte, a game the Bearcats won 48-34.
“It’s really cool to see the audience reception and the community fans that are built around Travis and Jason and the show that they put together,” Sovereign said.
Thursday was the second live event the Kelces have hosted. Sovereign said last year they did one in Kansas City.
Collaboration with Cincy Reigns
Cincy Reigns is the Bearcat NIL collective, and part of the gross proceeds of Thursday’s show will go to help the university’s student-athletes.
“The athletic department is such a huge part of guys’ lives, not only while they’re here, but once they’re gone,” Kelce said. “To do something that continues to build it up and shed some light on these athletes and this program is something everyone on our staff was on board with.”
Kelce marveled at his start at the university as a walk-on and the people who helped him on his journey.
“Looking back, it’s crazy how it was, coming out of high school without any scholarships,” Kelce said. “You come back with a great appreciation and understanding that none of this would have been possible without all these people and places along the way.”
As was seen in his shirtless crowd dives during the Chiefs recent playoff runs as he watched Travis, Kelce has remained humble and appreciative of fans who have played a part in his fame.
“We’re two knuckleheads that talk into the camera,” he said. “It still doesn’t make sense in a lot of ways.”
Bengals quarterback makes guest appearance
At the behest of former coach Luke Fickell, when Joe Burrow announced his transfer out of Ohio State, Jason Kelce sent him a text trying to coax him to be a Bearcat. Legend has it that he even worked out at Nippert Stadium.
“Who knows what could have been if he had just come here?” wondered Kelce. “Unfortunately, he went to LSU.”
Though it didn’t work out for the Bearcats, Kelce found a silver lining as it opened the door for Desmond Ridder and his career with the program, which ended in a College Football Playoff semifinal.
“Ever since then, Joe and I connected in some ways,” Kelce said. “I’m honored that he’s here today.”