Travis Kelce embraced his Big Yeti nickname after a historic night for the Kansas City Chiefs star at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kelce, 36, sat down with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter following the Chiefs’ 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday, October 27, a game which saw Kelce tie the all-time franchise mark for touchdowns with a score in the third quarter.
A raucous crowd stuck around after the game to watch the interview, including one hairy, shirtless Chiefs fan who had Kelce’s jersey painted on his body.
“That’s actually what I look like too, man,” Kelce said when the man was shown on camera. “Just as furry, just as furry.”
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Kelce earned the nickname Big Yeti during his time at the University of Cincinnati in honor of his excess amount of body hair.
During his conversation with Van Pelt, 59, Kelce took time to revel in the home victory as questions linger about his NFL future after this season.
“I just cherish these moments, man,” Kelce said “Coming out here, being able to play in front of Chiefs Kingdom at Arrowhead. This place is special, man. I love it here.”
Kelce tied Chiefs legend Priest Holmes for most touchdown catches in franchise history with his 10-yard reception from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He will have a chance to break the record when the Chiefs return to action on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, November 2.
“In terms of the historical stuff, man, I’m still looking at the next game and looking at the next catch and trying to get better every single day,” Kelce told Van Pelt. “I think I’ll look back at it and appreciate it..”
For the time being, Kelce said he’s just thankful he’s still able to hit the field and be a leader for the only NFL organization he’s ever played for.
“I’m just the old lucky dog that’s still able to do this thing, man,” he said with a smile. “I’m putting on the pads like I’m 15 years old again, man. I’m loving every single bit of it.”
Van Pelt referenced Kelce’s fiancée, Taylor Swift, who called the Chiefs star “a human exclamation point” during her appearance on Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast in August. (Swift was also in attendance on Monday.)
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“Like one of my old coaches used to say, ‘You’re either a fountain or you’re a drain, baby,’” Kelce said. “‘Either you’re giving me life or you’re taking it out of me.’ I like to fill people with happiness and excitement and get the things fixed that need to get fixed. And at the same time, bring some swagger, bring some excitement, bring some fun to work.”
During his separate postgame comments, Mahomes, 30, gushed about Kelce’s impact on the Kansas City organization.
“He’s the true Chiefs Chief,” Mahomes told reporters. “He is the guy that has been here through the whole thing. Been here with [head] coach [Andy] Reid the entire time. He has helped set the culture, you know? He helped set the culture of what it means to play for coach Reid and to play in Kansas City and I was able to come in and then have that guy to rely on.”
Mahomes added, “He’s breaking all the records now and he’s all about the team, so I want to make sure that he gets that and hopefully we can get another football for him later in the season after he actually breaks the record.”
