The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kelces’ mom kept boys fed with chicken, pork and ribs

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It’s difficult enough to feed two regular-sized teenage boys, much less a pair such as Travis and Jason Kelce.

One dedicated momma made it happen. Donna Kelce said Thursday before the “NFL Honors” show that she did her best to keep up with her two sons’ voracious appetites, but it was easier said than done.

“The refrigerat­or was always packed, but it didn’t last more than a day or so,” she said. “Whole chickens, they would eat lots of pork, ribs. I’d have leftovers in the refrigerat­or, and it never lasted past the day.

“When they left for college, I got a raise.”

All that eating eventually paid off. Travis is now a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Jason is the longtime starting center for the Philadelph­ia Eagles. The brother-on-brother matchup in Super Bowl 57 on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, is the first in the championsh­ip game’s history.

Donna and her husband, Ed, have mostly kept private over the years, but she’s become a minor celebrity as she crisscross­es the country to watch her boys — often in a jersey with Travis’ front stitched to Jason’s back.

More than 150,000 fans signed a petition for the NFL to have her do the Super Bowl coin toss, but she said in a social media post that the NFL already had someone in place.

She looked at ease on the red carpet Thursday night, chatting with anyone who wanted to talk about her remarkable family.

“I just go where I’m told,” Kelce said, grinning.

‘Curse’ of Kurt Warner? Former quarterbac­k Kurt Warner is the last quarterbac­k to win the regular-season MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season.

That was the 1999 season. After that, the next nine players to win the MVP and then appear in the Super Bowl have an 0-9 record.

“I’m aware of that,” Warner said. “It’s funny you called it a curse, because you know where the curse started? The curse also started with me. I was the last one to do it. Two years later, I won the MVP, went to the Super Bowl and lost.”

Warner said the 0-9 record is proof that football is a team sport and one player can’t carry teams to a championsh­ip. That’s why he’s leaning Eagles for his Super Bowl 57 pick.

“I’m leaning toward the Eagles,” Warner said. “I just think top to bottom they’re the better team. It doesn’t guarantee anything — it’s whoever plays better for 60 minutes. But I’m leaning Eagles because they have so many ways to beat you, so many players who can beat you.”

 ?? MIKE STEWART/AP ?? Donna Kelce has become a minor celebrity as she watches her boys — often in a jersey with Travis’ front stitched to Jason’s back.
MIKE STEWART/AP Donna Kelce has become a minor celebrity as she watches her boys — often in a jersey with Travis’ front stitched to Jason’s back.

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