By: Audrey Elwood

Audrey Elwood

Jason and Travis Kelce recently returned to Cincinnati to host a live version of their podcast New Heights. While they may have left an impact on the city, Jason also left something else in Cincy: his 2018 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl ring. During a round of the “Lombaby games,” an athletic event that can lead to things being thrown off the body, multiple UC students sifted through a pile of Skyline Chili to find Kelce’s ring. While one team found it during the games, they could not find it afterward. “All of this stuff has been thrown away so I think we can safely assume my Super Bowl ring is now in a landfill someplace in the Cincinnati/tri-state area.” said Kelce.

         Both Jason and Travis Kelce played for the University of Cincinnati (UC) Bearcats during their college football careers. It has been over 10 years since the center and tight end (respectively) played in Nippert Stadium. The brothers, who co-host a podcast which is currently ranked #26 on the Spotify podcasts list, and #1 within the sports category, originally wanted the event to be held in Nippert Stadium. However, weather concerns arose, and the sold-out, 100-dollar-a-ticket event was instead held in the 12,500-seat Fifth Third Bank arena. “We’ve always wanted to do something for this university, for this city. You guys have injected us with so much love for the game of football and so much passion,” Travis said when opening the show.

Bengal’s quarterback Joe Burrow made an appearance at the event. In 2018, Jason, fresh off of the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles win, reached out to a Louisiana State University bound Burrow on behalf of the Bearcats to convince Burrow to play for UC. Burrow, of course, would agree and his addition to the Bengals would prove instrumental in their immediate success. 

“Who knows what could have been? He could have been such a great player if he just would have come here,” Jason said before the show. Now we may find out in the future if he ever swaps teams.

The Chiefs, who Travis Kelce plays for, and the Bengals have met multiple times in the AFC championship, pitting Burrow and Travis Kelce against each other. While this has likely led to several awkward moments, both players have remained professional in their careers. 

“They have great players, we have great players. I think we match up pretty well with them. We’re kind of built to beat them,” Burrow said about the rivalry.

A surprise commencement ceremony took place for the brothers at the event. Both brothers missed their graduations, with Travis missing the flight to a belated graduation a couple of years ago. Travis received his diploma while chugging a beer to the Beastie Boys Fight for Your Right.

Jason Kelce retired from the NFL last month, marking the end of a 13-year career of playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2018 Super Bowl was the last time the Eagles won the championship game. While Jason’s ring might be lost somewhere in Cincinnati, the impact the two brothers left on the city is not.