Travis Kelce knows how to make a memorable first impression — especially when welcoming new teammates to the Kansas City Chiefs.
During the Wednesday, June 25, episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Chiefs guard Trey Smith was asked to look back on some of his earliest interactions with Kelce, 35, after being drafted to the team in 2021.
“Everybody remembers the first time they meet Trav,” cohost Jason Kelce quipped of his younger brother. “That’s a hard one to forget.”
That appeared to be true for Smith, 26, who quickly called out Travis’ “crazy energy” on the field.
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“The one thing that I loved … it might have been my first game. You scored a touchdown,” Smith recalled of a game against the Cleveland Browns. “I’m slapping your helmet in the end zone ’cause you’re just psycho, bro. You know what I mean? I love it. Any time Trav’s getting the guys going, I’m feeling it, bro. Let’s get this thing rolling.”
Antics aside, Smith has also learned to love Travis’ leadership. “One thing that I can speak about — especially as a sixth round draft pick, a young guy — was just how kind you were, bro,” he gushed. “And you don’t have to be that way.”
Smith highlighted the way Travis “really care[s] for people” in his circle. “You’re not afraid to give out your heart, right?” he said. “So I think that’s the part that stood out to me. … Like, you still make time for people. You still care for people. To me, that speaks volumes [about] a person. … You never mistreated me or wrote me off or anything.”
Travis took in the praise, telling Smith, “It means the most coming from you, brother.”
Following a rocky season, which ended with the Chiefs losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 Super Bowl, Travis confirmed that he’ll be back for his 13th season in the NFL. Both he and Smith are excited for what the upcoming season will bring after the Chiefs recruited a few new faces.
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“I think our mission is gonna stay the same, man,” Smith said on Wednesday when asked about the team’s mindset. “We want another Lombardi, we want another trophy. We know we came up a little bit short last year, but we’re just motivated. That feeling we have — at least I know it’s been driving me, but I want to get back there [to the Super Bowl]. I want to win again.”
Like his teammate, Travis told reporters earlier this month that getting the Chiefs back on top is his biggest priority.
“Football is always going to be No. 1,” he said after a mandatory minicamp practice. “I love this game. It’s still my childhood dream. … This offseason, I got back to just wanting to really focus on this game and getting the most out of this game as I possibly can. This will always be No. 1 in terms of my business world and my career path.”
