Jason Kelce Thankful For UC Experience, Recalls Position Change That Sparked NFL Career

The Kelce Brothers are UC Athletics legends, and face each other in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Feb 7, 2023 5:23 PM EST

CINCINNATI — Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has gone from a running back his freshman year at UC, to a multi-time All-Pro NFL center.

The transformation took hard work and help along the way that Kelce first got in the 513.

"Clifton is a special community," Kelce told University of Cincinnati Athletics. "Lots of great bars and restaurants. I loved everyone at the university as I stepped on campus to do my official visit there, the guys that hosted me. I knew right then and there that I wanted to go to Cincinnati. What I remember most are just the people that I got to know, teammates I had, friends within the university that I had, and still keep in touch with, coaches and teachers. There's a lot of great people at Cincinnati who made an impact on my life and are still making an impact on my life."

Kelce went through multiple coaching changes at Cincinnati but hit the weight room hard to transform into a center. A position he never thought he'd play.

"Brian Kelly came in, and they brought a spread offense," Kelce said. "They wanted little bit more athletic offensive linemen that could do the zone blocking, get out and run and do all the screens and whatnot.

"The strength coach there, Paul Longo—who had moved a lot of guy's positions—and he had just done the same thing with Joe Staley, long-time center at Central Michigan. So he pulled me aside and said, 'you know son? You'd make a great center,' I'm like what are you talking about? I've never played center in my life. They tried me out at center that spring, and that was it."

It also helped he had some great examples to watch. Kelce watched undersized NFL centers to build up his skills.

"Joe Staley was one, obviously, because of his relation to our strength coach," Kelce said about his influences. "but positionally I looked at Jeff Saturday a lot. I looked at Maurkice Pouncey a lot, especially when he first started in the league. I looked at a lot of the undersized guys."

All that studying has led to multiple Super Bowl trips and arguably the greatest NFL career ever by a Bearcat.

Although his brother, Travis, might have something to say about that if he wins a second Super Bowl on Sunday.

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