Travis Kelce: ‘I was embarrassed by that Super Bowl loss’

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce recently joined the Arrowhead Pride Interview Series on behalf of Tide and its #TurnToCold Initiative. The initiative’s intention is to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help consumers save money, while also providing a great clean. Find out more by clicking here.

This past offseason was a bit different for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who recently joined the Arrowhead Pride Interview Series on our Arrowhead Pride Podcast Network.

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Kelce — now 31 and in his ninth year with the Chiefs — typically enjoys the offseason, posting on social media from different destinations and just enjoying himself. But after Kansas City’s horrid display in Super Bowl LV, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9, he wanted to make sure he presented the right impression.

In Kelce’s mind, this past offseason was no time to celebrate.

“The biggest thing is I didn’t want to let anybody think different,” said Kelce. “I was embarrassed by that loss. I didn’t want anybody to think that I just moved on and life is good and all gravy, baby. It wasn’t. I was very pissed off at myself and how I went out there and played on the biggest stage in the world — and I take that to heart. I immediately turned it into motivation and working harder and getting better at the game of football. And that’s where we’re at right now; it was an offseason of that. A lot of fire right here in the pit of my heart right now that I got to keep showing the world that we are who everyone thinks we are — and that’s a dominant force on the football field.”

That showed on Sunday, as Kelce collected 76 yards and two touchdowns (including the game-winner) as the Chiefs knocked off the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.

Kelce hopes that a return to better times are ahead for the Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LIV, thus leading to a parade in downtown Kansas City. Just as his brother, Jason, did two years prior, Travis got the mic on one of his city’s most memorable days.

Although Travis enjoyed his time on the stage in front of Union Station, he gave the nod to his brother when it comes to who had the better championship speech (See the links above to re-watch).

“I’ll give it to Jason,” said Kelce. “Mine got a lot more hype than it probably should have. Don’t get me wrong: I went up and gave it my all and [had] some fun on the mic. Probably threw around a few words I shouldn’t have, but it was a blast being up there in front of Kansas City when I did it, so I don’t hold anything back and I don’t regret it all. But I do think that what my brother did on that stage that day was pretty legendary, with the outfit and the way he spoke to Philadelphia and embodied the city and got everybody to rally behind him. That was a pretty special moment. I remember watching it, and I was just in tears of joy and happiness — and I was just laughing the entire time. I’ve seen a speech like that out of Jason a few times, and they always take your breath away and get you fired up.”

One of the signatures of Kelce’s speech included a tribute to Andy Reid. After two decades as an NFL head coach, Reid clinched his first Super Bowl title in 2019. Kelce was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013 — and he has only played for one head coach.

“Man, what a guy,” said Kelce. “When [Reid] got to Kansas City, this place immediately got better. It starts with a leader up top, right? To be able to bring in somebody that has a support system to be able to lead men and women into the right direction and motivate men and women in the right direction. It’s a very cool experience to be with such a great coach, knowing that he’s done so much for my ability on the field and how I’ve progressed in my career — and then every single week, dialing up plays that put me in the best situation to have success. I’m always appreciative of the big guy — and really, all of my coaches in that matter.”

Listen to the full 13-minute conversation above or by clicking here.

Kelce is now the voice of an exclusive Tide Cold Washer Machine, the first-ever talking machine. Tide will be offering a handful of the exclusive washers through a sweepstakes with other NFL greats speaking to the many benefits of washing on cold. It’s customized to make the cold setting your favorite wash! Fans can now enter for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind machine and commit to cold washing on Tide.com.

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