Jason Kelce has always loved playing football. But make no mistake, he had to work really hard to play at the collegiate and professional levels. The story goes that Kelce walked onto the football team at the University of Cincinnati. “I had no stars, no investment from the team or the coaches; I had to earn everything, which was good because I had no clue what hard work was until that point,” Kelce recalled about the experience during his famous NFL retirement speech on March 4.
Alas, that same mentality followed him all the way to the NFL. In 2011, Jason Kelce was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles during the sixth round. Ironically, the Eagles didn’t even know how to spell Kelce’s name at that time. “The #Eagles select C Jason Kelsey from Cincinnati with the 191st pick!” the team fired out in a celebratory tweet.
Kelce, however, relishes his ‘underdog’ status. “I have been the underdog my entire career, and I mean this when I say it: I wish I still was,” he declared in his memorable NFL exit speech. But that’s not all. Kelce also created an entire clothing line aptly titled “Underdog Apparel.” All of the proceeds are donated to (Be)Philly Foundation to help fund various programs for the youth of Philadelphia. The slogan? “No one’s hungry like an underdog.”