Travis Kelce seeks to be in same stratosphere as NBA legend: 'Give me as many rings as Jordan’s got, baby'
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce could retire today and be a Hall of Famer, but he wants his legacy to be close to an NBA legend's: Michael Jordan.
It is quite easy to say Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is going to end up with a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. He could retire right now and have all the personal accolades to join the NFL's greats in Canton, Ohio.
Yet, what keeps Kelce going is not breaking league tight end records, or franchise marks with the Chiefs. An ultimate team player, Kelce, as he is set to enter his 12th NFL season in 2024, wants to cement his legacy in the game much like a legend in another sport did during his heyday.
"Give me as many rings as Jordan's got, baby," Kelce said in an exclusive interview with Zen Water, which is renowned for its premium vapor distilled alkaline water.
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Michael Jordan's legacy is known globally, as the Chicago Bulls icon led the way in the 1990s to six NBA championships, while changing the entire game of basketball in the process on and off the court.
Now, while Kelce's accomplishments may not rival Jordan's in their respective sports, the veteran tight end has three Super Bowl championships under his belt already. He said he has not even thought about his own stats since about the 2015 or 2016 seasons, because the Super Bowl is the only thing on his mind.
Jordan finished with six rings, so Kelce would not mind doing the same before he walks off into the sunset.
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"Couple more Super Bowls," he said when asked about what milestones he wants to achieve before he retires. "I told you that feeling in the end zone is the greatest feeling. Man, hoisting that trophy at the end – that’s the mecca right there. The Vince Lombardi [Trophy] at the end of the year with my teammates and coaches and the fan base in Kansas City. That’s all I got my mindset on.
"Three more? That’s what I’m talking about. I’ll take six."
Legacy is a word that gets thrown around with Kelce now because, while he is still in great shape and can play with the best of them, he is heading down the proverbial mountain in terms of his career's lifespan.
"I just wanna be known as somebody who was selfless and really wanted to make a difference in the communities he was playing in," Kelce said about that legacy.
However, he is not reminiscing and looking back yet. Clearly, he still has a lot to accomplish, and three more Super Bowls is no easy task.
The Chiefs will head into 2024 hoping to be the first NFL team in history to three-peat following their overtime thriller in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers in February.
A healthy Kelce, alongside MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is paramount for head coach Andy Reid's squad to make that return to the Super Bowl this season. Kelce said he has matured in the fact that he not only knows how to dissect defenses on the field, but he is also well aware of the "wear and tear" he is allowed to put on his body, especially in the offseason.
Proper hydration, like he does with ZenWTR, makes a huge difference as well.
"When I was younger, I was able to kinda put a little more wear and tear on the body. In the offseason, obviously the wear and tear, you gotta save that for the season," he explained. "What’s really kept me up to speed with the game has really been my mentality. It’s really been how fast I can process things, how fast I can see things develop and have an answer instinctually right away. That’s what makes me play faster. I don’t have the 4.5 speed I used to, but I can move quicker and get somebody to think."
Last season was also a wild one for Kelce considering how much publicity his personal life got with his relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift. The couple have embraced the spotlight and added attention, and though questions about Kelce's production were discussed on talk shows and sports radio, the end result is exactly what he wanted, hoisting that Lombardi Trophy again.
Kelce discussed how friends, family and loved ones create that balance on and off the field.
"As long as I keep those close and I keep those real, those conversations real, those opportunities to be with them, take advantage of those. Make sure I find time for that aspect in my life. I feel like that’s always my yin to my yang.
"People around you to tell you, ‘You’re tripping,’ or you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing. On top of that, they give you a pat on your back when you’re doing things the right way. You gotta have it both ways."
Kelce has many different things pulling him in every direction, but he has found a balance in his life at this point in time. That has led to his ultimate goal on the football field, which is winning titles.
It is a feeling he continues to chase and will chase until perhaps his name is in the upper echelon of sports greatness, just like Jordan.
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