Philadelphia Eagles coach Joseph O’Pella has revealed that Jason Kelce asked him to tape his ankles for his retirement press conference after missing the center’s last game in the NFL.
O’Pella, who has recorded Kelce every day during his 13 NFL seasons in Philadelphia, revealed on Instagram that he didn’t have the chance to do so in his last game because he was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
He also noted how Kelce O’Pella offered his oceanfront home “if I had to go” and also offered to pay for meal services to help the coach’s family while he battled cancer.
An emotional Kelce broke down in tears during a press conference on Monday as he hung up his cleats after a sensational 13 years in the NFL, as his brother Travis, wife Kylie and parents Ed and Donna looked on.
In photos of Kelce standing up and hugging brother Travis as he came off stage, the tape around his ankles is clearly visible.
Jason Kelce asked Eagles coach Joseph O’Pella to include him in his retirement announcement
Kelce could be seen with tape around his ankles as he left the stage to hug his family
O’Pella explained on Instagram that Kelce asked him to tape his ankles as he prepared for his NFL career.
He wrote, “I remember in his sophomore year when Jason tore his knee, I went to the head coach and told him that I needed to rehab because he needed to be treated like an athlete, not a conventional offensive lineman.
“What would happen over the next twelve years would certainly impact my life in ways I could never have imagined.
“You all know about the achievements on the field, and many of them off the field as well, but what this man has meant to me and now to my family over the last ten years is almost indescribable.
“From being his Wing Bowl cornerman, to hours of rehab sessions followed by nights out on the town, to sleeping on each other’s couches, to being together at each other’s weddings, to Sea Isle City Polar Bear Plunges to Super Bowl- performances and a ring, we were there and did it together.
“And in what would be his last season, when I was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy, he offered his house on the coast if I had to be away and offered to pay for meal services to help my wife and I , and he randomly called me when I was home, too sick to come due to chemo, just to check on me and talk about random things.
“That’s who he is as a person. I taped this man’s ankles and thumbs every day for thirteen seasons, and when he played his last game in Tampa, I was once again unable to attend due to cancer.
“And when he told me he was going to retire and I expressed my regret that I wasn’t the last person to ever record him, he offered to let me record him for his retirement press conference. That’s who he is. And I hope these stories can add to an already incredible legacy.
“Congratulations to the entire Kelce family on a Hall of Fame career both on and off the field.
“To Kylie’s husband; Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett’s father; the Eagles’ center; The icon of Philadelphia, and my brother: Jason, congratulations on your retirement and here’s to the future. I love you’.
Kelce finally ended months of speculation by retiring Monday after 13 seasons in the NFL
Kelce broke down in tears before he even started speaking Monday, finally ending months of speculation as he ended his career after 13 years in the NFL.
It took him 45 minutes to recount his career from his childhood in Ohio to his final days with the Eagles, with tears, laughter and many thanks to his greatest influences, before finally announcing his retirement.
“I’ve been the underdog my whole career,” he said. “And I mean this when I say it, I still wish it was me.”
An emotional Kelce struggled to get his words out; he frequently paused for long periods and his voice cracked as he tried to hold back tears.
Speculation first arose that Kelce would hang up his cleats when the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January.
However, he declined to announce a final decision on his future in the weeks that followed, instead supporting brother Travis throughout the postseason as the Kansas City Chiefs ultimately won the Super Bowl.
Kelce was close to retirement this time last year, but decided to stick around for another season after struggling to walk away — a process that was captured on film in his hit Amazon Prime documentary.
Kelce finished his career making 156 consecutive starts, earning six of them All-Pro Team selections. He played 193 regular season games for the Eagles.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to play my entire career in one city,” Kelce said. “If I had tried, I couldn’t have dreamed a better one.”