Kansas City Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Appears on New Episode of Truss Levelz

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce joined fellow NFL superstars Mark Ingram and Cam Jordan for the latest episode of the “Truss Levelz” podcast presented by The Player’s Tribune to discuss Kelce being a huge George Kittle fan and reveling in their head-to-head matchup during Super Bowl LIII. During the interview, Kelce also admits to being a terrible quarterback and shares his side of the infamous Post Malone-tattoo story where he and Patrick Mahomes won 15 straight games of beer pong against the multi-platinum rapper.

Episode highlights include:

On Starting as a QB, and Why That Didn’t Work Out (7:10)

“So, in high school I started having some success here and there. But they always called me a dual threat. But I had a run-first mentality. It’s not like I couldn’t throw the ball – because I could huck it a mile if I had a guy– a coach working with me, I would do the three-step, five-step, get the ball out on time and everything. But in the games, it was either I can throw this five-yard pick and I don’t know if he’ll catch it or not, or I could just run for a good five to six yards – you know what I mean? It was a terrible mentality. Kids, don’t try this at home. Trust your wide receivers, trust your coaching, and throw the ball.”

On his love for basketball (8:36)

“Basketball was always my love. I went to college to play football and basketball so, going there I was always in the back of my mind ‘I’m a hooper.’ But I mean football just suits me better because of my height and my abilities. All I had to do was work on my handles on the court and I knew I was good.”

On Why Kelce Chose to go to The University of Cincinnati (9:36)

“I actually only took– I think I only took one [official tour]– The University of Cincinnati. I had officials to go other places but my brother was already at the university. I gave my family one place to go, one team to root for, and honestly, the year or two… I was in high school that my brother wasn’t, I was like dang I miss that guy man. So I finally got to go be back around my brother and be with some family and go through this walk of life without my parents, with somebody. I definitely knew I was in good hands going to Cincinnati, and I knew I had good leadership going to Cincinnati”

On How His Brother Saved him From Being Kicked out of The University of Cincinnati (13:02)

“I’m sure you might’ve heard this story but I got kicked off the team and my brother…went to the university, to the coaching staff, to everybody at the university and really tried to get me to get back on the team– and under his supervision. So he took me in, I lived in his room. I literally put two beds in one room and we just shacked it up his senior year, and uh, yeah I owe him so much credit for doing that, putting his name on the line so I could finish my career in Cincinnati.”

On Rooting for George Kittle in their Super Bowl Head-to-Head (26:49)
“That was one of the coolest things about going up against Kittle in the Super Bowl. I was like man, I respect this dude so much for how he approaches the game and how he plays the game for his teammates. I would want him to get all the way there, for him to get that close. It’s cool how you can have that respect and that love for a guy on the opposite side, man.”
Kelce Sheds Light on the Post Malone Tattoo (48:50)
We played about 15 games [of beer pong], I mean it was non-stop back– he didn’t win a single game. I’m not going to say I was Jordan that night, but I didn’t miss. So, it got to the last game and he was like ‘Man, you got me, ten games in a row, I’ve got a show to do. Last game! You guys aren’t going to beat me another time. If you beat me, I’ll get you guys tatted on me.’ And I’m like– wait what? He’s like yeah I’ll get the arrowhead and your guys’ signatures tattooed on my arm… [What we had to do if we lost] wasn’t communicated. He just kinda went about it. But sure enough me and Pat[rick Mahomes] walked it down, easiest ten cup down, and he was just like ‘alright man I have to go out and do this show. Here, put your signature on this paper.’ There was literally a tattoo artist in the corner– he was standing over there in the corner the whole time”

ABOUT “TRUSS LEVELZ”

“Truss Levelz,” is a weekly podcast hosted by NFL superstars and real-life best friends, Mark Ingram and Cam Jordan. The former New Orleans Saints teammates will reunite to bring their infectious energy and dynamic personalities to listeners as they provide unparalleled access to the league’s biggest superstars playing today. Each week, Jordan and Ingram will go beyond the X’s and O’s and dive into everything from player origin stories and influences, to current events from the worlds of football, music, gaming, and beyond, to off-day indulgences and hobbies. Guests from Season 1 include Lamar Jackson, Travis Kelce, Derrick Henry, George Kittle, and more. “Truss Levelz” is available on all major podcast services and online at The Players’ Tribune website. Additionally, full episodes and highlights will be available in video form via The Players’ Tribune YouTube channel. Pepsi will serve as the exclusive sponsor of “Truss Levelz.”

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.