Nearly two decades ago, Travis Kelce arrived at the University of Cincinnati, not as an athlete, not even as a student, but as a brother. His brother, Jason, had spent two years with the Bearcats. And when the younger Kelce showed up with his highlight tape, it wasn’t too long before he was reunited with his brother.

“Visited Jason (Kelce) the rest of that weekend, stayed with him in the dorm, got to meet everybody on the team, and also got to meet a few of the coaches at one of the spring ball practices that Jason was having. And sure enough, I walked out of Cincinnati with a scholarship that day. Paul Longo, the strength guy asked for my highlight tape.”

The rest is history. That’s how one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history found a spot in college. And decades later, the Kelces are returning to the halls of the Bearcats for a ceremony that will recognise their achievements. 

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end returned to his college home alongside his brother, Jason Kelce, who is set to receive a big honor from the place where it all began. The Cincinnati Bearcats welcomed Travis with a special message, with a slow-motion video montage of the Kansas City Chiefs’ TE.

The video was captioned “Welcome home, Trav!” as the brothers made their way back to a place that still holds a special place in both of their football stories.

For Travis, Cincinnati was never just another college football stop. It’s the place where he played his way into the NFL after a difficult stretch that nearly derailed his football career. Jason was already there when Travis arrived, and his big brother became one of the most important people in helping Travis get through the roughest stretch of his college career.

In 2010, Travis was removed from the team after testing positive for marijuana during Cincinnati’s bowl week, forcing him to miss the entire season and lose his scholarship. Jason, then a senior offensive lineman, backed up his brother. 

“When I got removed from the team, I got my scholarship taken away,” Travis previously recalled. Jason offered him a place to stay, helped him with food, and spoke to members of the Cincinnati coaching staff on his behalf. Travis later called his brother his “lifeline” during that period.

That second chance eventually turned into the beginning of an extraordinary NFL career. Travis returned to Cincinnati in 2011, then broke out as a senior in 2012, catching 45 passes for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned first-team All-BIG EAST honors and was named the College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year before Kansas City selected him 63rd overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

There is another reason this trip carries weight. Jason is not simply coming back as Travis’ older brother. Cincinnati is preparing to officially recognize Jason Kelce as one of the most accomplished players in the program’s history.

The visit comes just weeks after Cincinnati announced that Jason Kelce would be inducted into the university’s James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its 50th anniversary class.

He joins a group that includes former Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins, track standouts Loretta Blaut and Wayne Mason, former baseball player Mike Kinnett, former women’s soccer goalkeeper Christy Hoffman, and Jason’s own former Cincinnati and Eagles teammate Connor Barwin, who now serves as the Eagles’ head of football development and strategy.

Jason spoke about the Hall of Fame honor on a recent episode of his New Heights podcast, admitting that the recognition feels a little strange considering how his Cincinnati career began.

“Part of an awesome class, obviously incredibly honored that Cincinnati would adorn me with this honor into the Hall of Fame class. It feels a little odd knowing that I was a walk-on two-time conference second-team selection,” Jason said.

Cincinnati’s announcement puts that journey into perspective. From 2006 to 2010, Kelce went from walking onto the program as a linebacker to becoming a three-year starter on the offensive line, setting up the path that eventually led to his NFL career.

Jason Kelce’s Homecoming: Two Decades in the Making

After Jason Kelce left Cincinnati, he built an NFL career that lasted 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Along the way, he made seven Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro selections, and helped Philadelphia beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. He announced his retirement in March 2024.

Jason Kelce’s Athletics Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 23, at Fifth Third Arena. The timing is notable too, with the Bearcats set to face Texas Tech the next day in the program’s 100th Homecoming game.

Even before that ceremony, Jason made it clear that Cincinnati still means plenty to him while talking about the Bearcats’ season opener on his podcast.

“I love Cincinnati. I still love going back. We’re going back to a game this week.”

The game was Cincinnati’s season opener against Boston College at Nippert Stadium, when Jason and Travis joined. Cincinnati jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first half, took a 24-8 advantage into the fourth quarter, and closed out a 34-15 win.