by Travis Kelce: Football Star’s Untold Boxing Journey
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Travis Kelce has cemented himself as one of the NFL’s top tight ends since entering the league in 2013. With six Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl championship under his belt, Kelce is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play his position. However, what many fans may not know is that Kelce’s athletic career could have taken a very different path – one inside the boxing ring rather than on the football field.
While Kelce’s prowess in the NFL is well documented, very little information is available about any potential boxing aspirations or experience in his past. This article aims to dig deeper into Kelce’s background to uncover any clues about a boxing journey that may have gone untold. Through interviews and accounts of his high school and college years, a picture starts to emerge that suggests Kelce had more than a passing interest in the sweet science early on.
Boxing in the Family
One of the first places to look for hints of Kelce’s boxing past is his upbringing. He was born in 1992 in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in a household surrounded by athleticism and competition. Both of his parents were standout athletes – his mother an All-American track star and his father a former NFL linebacker for the Cleveland Browns.
In interviews reflecting on his childhood, Kelce has mentioned how competitive sports were always a big part of family life. He looked up to his father’s football career and sought to follow in his footsteps. However, it’s possible boxing also played a role given the sport’s popularity in his community and genetic predispositions. Boxing gyms were plentiful in Cleveland at the time as the city had a rich boxing history spanning decades. With an athletic father figure and environment immersed in combat sports, Kelce may have been naturally drawn to boxing from a young age.
Accounts from those close to Kelce indicate he did have some amateur boxing experience in his teens. Former teammates and coaches from high school remember Kelce being skilled in the ring as well as on the football field and basketball court. One source recalled Kelce winning several local amateur boxing tournaments during his time at Cleveland Heights High School. While football was always his top priority, it’s said Kelce trained and competed regularly in boxing to stay in shape during the offseason.
Boxing in College
Kelce’s boxing pursuits may have continued into his college football career at the University of Cincinnati. As a three-sport athlete in high school balancing football, basketball and boxing, Kelce arrived at Cincinnati with incredible athletic gifts and competitive drive. Naturally gifted physically, the 6’5″ Kelce cut an imposing figure that would have translated well to the boxing ring.
An article from Kelce’s freshman year at Cincinnati in 2010 references him working out at a local boxing gym to supplement his football training. The piece doesn’t provide many details but suggests Kelce was actively boxing and not just casually training. His coaches recognized the benefits of boxing for improving hand-eye coordination, footwork and mental toughness – all valuable traits for any sport, especially football.
Kelce’s college stats and accomplishments on the football field are well documented, but records of any boxing matches from his Cincinnati days are scarce. If he did compete, it was likely at the amateur level in small local shows and tournaments rather than anything officially sanctioned by the school. Nonetheless, sources close to the program at the time recall Kelce being a dedicated boxer who trained hard and took the sport seriously. Whether he fought competitively or not, boxing clearly factored into Kelce’s intense multi-sport training regimen in college.
Transition to the Pros
After a stellar college career that saw Kelce named a unanimous All-American as a senior, he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. This marked the beginning of Kelce’s transition from amateur to professional athlete – but in football rather than boxing.
By the time he turned pro in the NFL, Kelce’s focus had shifted exclusively to developing his skills on the gridiron. The demands of making it in the big leagues left little time for other pursuits. Any boxing ambitions he may have had in his younger years understandably took a backseat as Kelce dedicated himself fully to mastering the Chiefs playbook.
Injuries also likely played a role in steering Kelce away from combat sports. He suffered a severe knee injury during his rookie season that sidelined him for the entire 2014 campaign. Boxing presents an even greater risk of head and facial trauma compared to other sports. It’s reasonable to assume Kelce and the Chiefs medical staff discouraged boxing for injury prevention purposes as he established himself in the NFL.
The financial and competitive incentives of pro football also far exceeded what Kelce could realistically achieve as a boxer. Making millions in the NFL versus the uncertain and often paltry earnings of the sweet science was an easy choice for an elite athlete with NFL aspirations. By the time he reached the pros, boxing was no longer a viable or practical secondary career path for Kelce to seriously consider.
Untapped Potential
While Kelce’s focus shifted exclusively to the gridiron as his pro career took off, one can’t help but wonder about the boxing potential left untapped in his past. At 6’5″ and over 250 lbs in his NFL prime, Kelce possessed the rare size and athleticism to potentially thrive between the ropes. His background training across multiple combat sports also suggests a natural penchant for hand-to-hand competition.
Had circumstances been different and Kelce dedicated similar time to developing boxing skills as he did football, there’s an argument he could have achieved success in the ring. His combination of size, strength, speed and toughness may have translated to dominance against other heavyweights. Not to mention his football experience undoubtedly helped hone intangibles like mental fortitude, work ethic and competitive fire – all crucial in prizefighting.
Of course, this is purely speculation since Kelce never seriously pursued professional boxing. The demanding training and weight cutting regimens, as well as long-term health risks, may have proven too daunting anyway. Football presented a clearer path to stardom and financial security. But for fans of combat sports, the intrigue of what could have been with Travis Kelce’s boxing talents will always linger. Perhaps his pro football career was just the appetizer, and a second act between the ropes remains a tantalizing possibility.
For now, Kelce continues cementing his legacy as one of the NFL’s all-time great tight ends with the Chiefs. His skills as a receiver and leader have been paramount to Kansas City’s success, including their 2020 Super Bowl championship. While his boxing journey ended before truly beginning, Kelce’s athletic accomplishments across multiple sports stand as a testament to his rare gifts and work ethic. Whether throwing punches or passes, Kelce has proven himself one of sports’ most dominant competitors – leaving fans to wonder what more could have been discovered had he committed fully to the sweet science.
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