History of Travis Kelce in Timeline
Travis Kelce is a highly accomplished American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Drafted in 2013, he has become a key player for the team, contributing significantly to their success. Kelce has won three Super Bowls (LIV, LVII, and LVIII) with the Chiefs, solidifying his status as one of the league's top tight ends. Prior to his NFL career, he played college football at the University of Cincinnati.
1986: Release of "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"
In 1986, The Beastie Boys released the song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", a song which Travis Kelce later became known for reciting during team celebrations.
1987: Release of "Fairytale of New York"
In 1987, The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl released the song "Fairytale of New York".
October 5, 1989: Travis Kelce's Birth
On October 5, 1989, Travis Michael Kelce was born. He is now a professional football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
2007: Senior Year Football Stats
In 2007, as a senior at Cleveland Heights High School, Travis Kelce rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns, and threw for 1,523 yards and 21 touchdowns.
2008: Redshirting at Cincinnati
In 2008, Travis Kelce redshirted at the University of Cincinnati, where his brother Jason Kelce was the starting left guard.
2009: College Debut
In 2009, Travis Kelce appeared in 11 games for the Cincinnati Bearcats, playing tight end and quarterback.
2010: Suspension for Marijuana Use
In 2010, Travis Kelce was suspended from the Cincinnati Bearcats football team for the entire season after testing positive for marijuana, a violation of team rules.
2011: Andy Reid Coached Jason Kelce
In 2011, Andy Reid drafted and coached Jason Kelce during his time as the head coach of the Eagles.
2011: Return to Football
In 2011, Travis Kelce returned to the Cincinnati Bearcats football team, playing tight end and recording 13 catches for 150 yards.
2012: Final Collegiate Season
In 2012, Travis Kelce set personal season highs in receptions (45), receiving yards (722), yards per reception (16.0), and receiving touchdowns (8) during his last collegiate season.
March 2013: College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year
In March 2013, Travis Kelce was named the College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year.
June 6, 2013: Signed Rookie Contract with Chiefs
On June 6, 2013, Travis Kelce signed a four-year, $3.12 million rookie contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, which included a signing bonus of $703,304.
October 12, 2013: Placed on Injured Reserve
On October 12, 2013, after a bone bruise and microfracture surgery on his knee, Travis Kelce was placed on injured reserve.
2013: Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs
In 2013, Travis Kelce was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the NFL draft.
2014: Leading Receiver for Chiefs
During the 2014 season, Travis Kelce was the Chiefs' leading receiver, totaling 862 yards off 67 receptions.
2015: First Multiple Touchdown Game
In 2015, Travis Kelce had his first NFL multiple touchdown game, with six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Texans. He also earned his way to his first Pro Bowl.
January 29, 2016: Signed Contract Extension
On January 29, 2016, Travis Kelce signed a five-year, $46 million contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.
April 2016: Started Dating Maya Benberry
In April 2016, Travis Kelce and Maya Benberry, the winner of his dating show, started dating after the show ended.
December 20, 2016: Named to Second Pro Bowl
On December 20, 2016, Travis Kelce was named as a starter in his second career Pro Bowl.
2016: Ranked 91st in NFL Top 100
In 2016, Travis Kelce was ranked 91st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
January 2017: Breakup with Maya Benberry
In January 2017, Maya Benberry confirmed that she and Travis Kelce had broken up.
December 19, 2017: Named to Third Straight Pro Bowl
On December 19, 2017, Travis Kelce was named to his third straight Pro Bowl.
2017: Ranked 26th in NFL Top 100
In 2017, Travis Kelce was ranked 26th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
2018: Ranked 21st in NFL Top 100
In 2018, Travis Kelce was ranked 21st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
2018: Notable 2018 Season Performance
In the 2018 season, Travis Kelce benefited from the rise of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, recording 103 receptions for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro.
2019: Four Consecutive Seasons with 1,000+ Receiving Yards
During the 2019 season, Travis Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to record four consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.
2019: Reciting Beastie Boys Song After AFC Championship
In 2019, Travis Kelce began reciting the chorus from the Beastie Boys' 1986 song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" during team celebrations, starting after the 2019 AFC Championship Game.
2019: Founded Hilo Nutrition
In 2019, Travis Kelce founded his own health brand, Hilo Nutrition, which sells gummy supplements for performance nutrition and other health benefits.
2019: Investment in Cholula Hot Sauce
In 2019, Travis Kelce invested in the private equity firm L Catterton's purchase of the condiment brand Cholula Hot Sauce.
January 2020: Launched Tru Kolors Clothing Brand
In January 2020, Travis Kelce launched his own clothing brand, Tru Kolors.
2020: Earned Investment Return from Cholula Hot Sauce Sale
In 2020, Travis Kelce earned four times his investment when McCormick & Company acquired Cholula Hot Sauce for $800 million.
2020: Most Receiving Yards by a Tight End
In 2020, Travis Kelce recorded 1,416 receiving yards which is the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season despite playing in only 15 games.
2020: Ranked 18th in NFL Top 100
In 2020, Travis Kelce was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
2021: Release of Signature Sneaker Collection with Nike
In 2021, Travis Kelce released a signature sneaker collection as part of a deal with Nike. The collection was called Nike x Kelce Blazer Mid '77 Vintage.
August 2022: Launch of "Kelce's Krunch" Cereal
In August 2022, Hy-Vee began manufacturing "Kelce's Krunch", a limited-edition frosted cornflakes breakfast cereal named after and endorsed by Travis Kelce. A portion of proceeds from the sale of the cereal was donated to Kelce's charity foundation.
September 2022: Launch of "New Heights" Podcast
In September 2022, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason launched a weekly sports podcast called New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, produced with Wave Sports + Entertainment. The podcast covers NFL news, rumors, and sports headlines.
2022: Reached 10,000 Career Receiving Yards
During the 2022 NFL season, Travis Kelce became the fifth tight end in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards, accomplishing the milestone faster than any other tight end.
2022: End of Relationship with Kayla Nicole Brown
From 2017 to 2022, Travis Kelce was in a relationship with social media influencer Kayla Nicole Brown.
2022: Graduation from University of Cincinnati
In 2022, Travis Kelce graduated with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree from the University of Cincinnati.
2022: Tru Kolors Collaboration with Kansas City Chiefs
In 2022, Travis Kelce's Tru Kolors clothing brand became the first brand by an NFL player to launch an official merchandise collaboration with an NFL franchise: the Kansas City Chiefs.
2022: "New Heights" named Sports Podcast of the Year
In 2022, the podcast New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce was named the Sports Podcast of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
February 2023: Podcast Popularity Surge During Super Bowl LVII
In February 2023, the New Heights podcast experienced a rise in popularity when Travis and Jason Kelce faced off in Super Bowl LVII. It reached the No. 1 in Apple sports podcasts.
March 5, 2023: Hosted Saturday Night Live
On March 5, 2023, Travis Kelce hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
April 2023: Launch of Kelce Jam Music Festival
In April 2023, Travis Kelce announced the launch of his own annual music festival called Kelce Jam. The first edition of the event, held in Bonner Springs, Kansas during the 2023 NFL draft weekend, featured artists including Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, Loud Luxury and Tech N9ne.
2023: Estimated Off-the-Field Earnings
In 2023, Business Insider estimated that Travis Kelce makes $5 million a year in off-the-field earnings and stated that "he was one of football's most successful endorsers."
2023: Began Dating Taylor Swift
In 2023, Travis Kelce began dating singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. They have been widely referred to as a supercouple.
2023: Investment in Alpine F1 Team
In 2023, Travis Kelce joined a group of investors, including actor Ryan Reynolds and teammate Mahomes, to buy a stake in Alpine, a UK-based French Formula One team.
2023: Long Drive Contest Win at American Century Championship
In 2023, Travis Kelce participated in the American Century Championship, at which he won the long drive contest.
2023: Performing with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
In 2023, Travis Kelce performed the song "Fight for Your Right" with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
2023: Super Bowl LVIII Win
In 2023, Travis Kelce surpassed Jerry Rice in career playoff receptions and won Super Bowl LVIII. This was Kelce's fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons.
2023: Featured on "Fairytale of Philadelphia"
In 2023, Travis Kelce was featured with his brother Jason on the cover of "Fairytale of New York" (1987) by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, titled "Fairytale of Philadelphia", which appeared on the 2023 album A Philly Special Christmas Special. The song reached number one on both the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart and Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
2023: Increased Interest in NFL Due to Relationship with Taylor Swift
In 2023, Travis Kelce's highly publicized relationship with Taylor Swift and her attendance at games stimulated interest in the Chiefs and the NFL during the 2023 season.
January 21, 2024: Chiefs-Bills Game Sets Viewership Record
On January 21, 2024, the Chiefs–Buffalo Bills game became the most-watched NFL divisional playoff game ever and the most-watched program on any network since Super Bowl LVII.
April 2024: Diploma Received at Podcast Event
In April 2024, Travis Kelce received his diploma during a podcast event at the Fifth Third Arena with his brother Jason.
June 2024: Joined Taylor Swift Onstage at Eras Tour
In June 2024, Travis Kelce joined Taylor Swift onstage at her Eras Tour concert in Wembley Stadium, dancing in a top hat and tails during her performance of "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart".
2024: Ownership in Garage Beer
In 2024, Travis Kelce teamed up with his brother Jason as significant owners and operators of the light beer company Garage Beer.
2024: New Heights Podcast Ranking
In 2024, the podcast 'New Heights,' co-hosted by Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, was ranked as the 8th most popular podcast in the US on Apple Podcasts.
January 2025: Revealed Croatian Ancestry
In their January 2025 podcast, the Kelce brothers revealed their Croatian ancestry.
March 2025: "New Heights" wins Best Sports Podcast award
In March 2025, New Heights won the Best Sports Podcast award at the IHeartRadio podcast awards.
2025: Opening of 1587 Prime Steakhouse
In 2025, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will open a steakhouse called 1587 Prime at the Loews Hotel Kansas City.
2025: Most Fan Votes for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games
Travis Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift significantly increased his popularity with casual and non-NFL fans, such as resulting in him receiving the most fan votes for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games.
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