Travis Kelce has paid tribute to the ‘incredible’ kids in Kansas City and opened up about his charity work after being nominated for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Kelce is a pillar of the community – in addition to his high-profile football career and relationship with Taylor Swift – and was honored last week by being named among the nominees for this year’s award.
Travis spoke out for the first time on his New Heights podcast with brother Jason and revealed how happy he was to be recognized – but insisted he ‘don’t do it for the awards… I do it for the kids’ smiles’ faces.’
“It’s a huge award,” he said. ‘I love being here in the Kansas City community, I really do. They stand up for each other so much and with so much pride.
“I was so lucky to come here to Kansas City and get the opportunity from the Hunt family. I realized early on that the way they run the organization is that they wanted everyone in the community to make sure that the people of Kansas City would feel the support that we feel on Sundays.
“And all you see when you first walk into that building is all the Man of the Year winners in terms of how much history Kansas City players have in this community and everyone being recognized for that.
Travis Kelce poses during a recent charity work with ‘Ignition Lab’ in Kansas City
Travis (right) opened up about his nomination for Man of the Year on his podcast with brother Jason
Kelce explained more about the incredible work the kids are doing at Ignition Lab in town
‘I don’t do it for the awards and recognition, I do it for the smiles on the faces of the children at the Ignition Lab and at Operation Breakthrough. It’s so cool to see what they’ve done there with what they have to do there.
“When I got to Kansas City, the program stopped in eighth grade, and I really wanted to continue that through my high school years. I know how stupid I was…and with nowhere to go or no safe haven, I don’t know where I would have been.”
Travis traveled to the game in Kansas City on Sunday in an all-electric Chevelle converted by the kids from his Ignition Lab project.
“I love it,” Jason said, adding that they had also converted his own truck in a similar fashion.
The Chiefs superstar came to Sunday’s game in an all-electric Chevelle
Kelce has gained even more fame in the past year thanks to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift
Kelce says he was a ‘knucklehead’ and knows how important programs like ‘Ignition Lab’ are
‘One of the things we had to see [on Sunday] was that all-electric Chevelle. How did that feel? It’s pretty spicy, it’s cool as fuck.’
“That thing is nice, cool,” Travis responded, adding, “A big guy like me, it’s hard to get into them old cars if you don’t pull the seats back, but man that thing is sweet .
“Those vintage cars are so damn cool, I think I have a ’71 Chevelle that some people may have seen me drive before, but this thing was one of a kind. The kids did incredibly well, it was a smooth ride to the stadium.”