by The Importance of Friendship: A Look at Travis Kelce’s Inner Circle
Travis Kelce has established himself as one of the NFL’s top tight ends during his eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. On the field, he’s a dominant force who can take over a game with his athleticism, size, and ball skills. But away from the gridiron, Kelce’s most important relationships are with the friends who have been by his side for decades.
Two of Kelce’s closest confidants are Aric Jones and Patrick Bacon, childhood buddies who have watched Kelce grow from a scrappy kid into a Super Bowl champion. Their enduring friendships illustrate how teammates come and go in the NFL, but true friends stick with you through everything. Let’s take a deeper look at Kelce’s bond with Jones and Bacon to better understand the importance of keeping childhood pals close.
The Origins of a Friendship
Kelce has known Aric Jones since they were both very young boys growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. In an interview with People magazine, Kelce estimated he and Jones have been friends since “I was five, six years old.” That means they’ve shared over 25 years of friendship by now.
Jones played football alongside Kelce at Cleveland Heights High School, so their friendship began on the gridiron but extended far beyond the field. In a 2020 profile of Kelce for Sports Illustrated, Jones recalled bonding with Kelce over more than just sports as kids. “We grew up together,” Jones said. “We played video games, went to the movies, just hung out all the time.”
That early bond formed the foundation for a friendship that has lasted into adulthood, even as Kelce’s career has taken him far from his Ohio roots. Jones still lives in Cleveland with his wife and children, but he makes multiple trips per year to Kansas City to watch Kelce’s games in person and spend time with his longtime friend. Their childhood connection has endured across states and stages of life.
An Elementary School Buddy
Another key member of Kelce’s inner circle is Patrick Bacon. Kelce has known Bacon even longer than Jones, all the way back to their elementary school days in Cleveland. In the same People magazine profile, Kelce noted he and Bacon have been friends since “first grade, kindergarten maybe.”
Bacon and Kelce played on the same youth football teams as they were growing up. But like with Jones, their friendship extended well beyond just sports. Bacon’s mother, Linda, told Sports Illustrated the boys “were inseparable” from a very young age. “They did everything together – sleepovers, played every sport, got in trouble together. They had a bond.”
That deep childhood bond is still going strong into Kelce and Bacon’s adult years. Bacon frequently travels to Kansas City to watch Kelce’s Chiefs games from field-side. Photos on Kelce’s social media show Bacon is a constant presence celebrating victories with Kelce and the tight end’s other close friends. Their elementary school friendship has lasted through Kelce’s rise to NFL stardom.
The Value of Old Friends
In a league where rosters and teammates turnover year to year, Kelce seems to place tremendous value on maintaining the old friendships that predate his professional football career. Jones and Bacon knew Kelce before he had a Super Bowl ring or eight-figure contract. Their friendship is not tied to Kelce’s on-field accomplishments.
Rather, it goes all the way back to Kelce’s formative years growing up in Cleveland. Jones and Bacon were there for Kelce through successes and struggles in high school football, and they’ve continued supporting him unconditionally since his NFL career took off. In an era of transient relationships, Kelce’s ability to preserve childhood bonds sets him apart.
Some NFL stars might drift apart from early friends once fame and fortune enter the picture. But Kelce seems determined to keep Jones, Bacon, and his other childhood buddies as involved in his life as possible. He frequently posts photos on social media hanging out with Jones, Bacon and other Cleveland pals off the field in Kansas City.
Clearly, Kelce views those formative friendships as too important to let slip away, no matter how busy his NFL schedule gets. Their long history and unconditional support provides Kelce with a grounded connection to his roots and pre-fame life. In a high-pressure career, cherished friends from before the spotlight can offer perspective and comfort like no other relationships.
A Glimpse Behind the Curtain
Allowing glimpses into his life with Jones and Bacon also provides fans a small look behind the curtain at Kelce the person, not just Kelce the star tight end. We see him not just as a dominant NFL force, but as a loyal friend who doesn’t forget those who knew him when. Jones and Bacon knew Kelce as just another talented kid from Cleveland, before he became “Travis Kelce” the household name.
Their friendship reminds us that even superstars like Kelce were once just normal children who loved sports and hanging out with their friends. Maintaining those early bonds anchors Kelce and prevents him from becoming isolated or detached from his roots in celebrity culture. Jones and Bacon keep Kelce grounded in the person he was before fame entered the equation.
In a cutthroat business like professional football, finding stability and normalcy off the field is invaluable. For Kelce, Jones and Bacon provide that through a friendship spanning his entire life to date. Their enduring loyalty illustrates the profound impact that childhood pals can have, even on a star as accomplished as Kelce. As his NFL career marches on, those formative friendships from his Ohio upbringing will surely remain among Kelce’s most cherished relationships.
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