One of the most famous last names in sports, Kelce has been mispronouncing for years. Now that he’s a household name and Super Bowl champion, people are finally catching on to how his name is actually pronounced.
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is a household name at this stage in his NFL career. Is it true, however, that every family pronounces that name incorrectly? It seems that this is the case.
Kelce’s last name has been a popular subject of discussion on social media for the last month or two, and he just explained why so many people have been mispronouncing it.
TE for the Chiefs Travis Kelce’s surname is pronounced differently than you may expect.
Travis Kelce’s appearance on Taylor Lewan’s Bussin’ With The Boys podcast made the rounds on the internet in July.
According to Bleacher Report, Kelce stated in the film on how he pronounces his last name: “I got Kell-see and then Kels, my actual name is Kels, so I just kind of roll with the punches.”
The remark sparked a lot of discussion on social media, and even Kelce’s teammates weighed in.
Tyreek Hill tweeted, “So I’ve been pronouncing his name incorrectly this whole time.”
“Bro, he never corrected us once,” Patrick Mahomes said.
So, what’s the backstory here? Is Kels the correct spelling for Kell-see? And, if that’s the case, why has the rest of the world been mispronouncing it throughout his career?
We now have a definitive answer.
The mispronunciation was caused by his father’s laziness.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce talks to the media during a media availability prior to Super Bowl 54 on January 30, 2020. | Getty Images/Mark Brown
Kelce recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, and Eisen couldn’t resist asking him about how to pronounce his surname. After then, the All-Pro tight end clarified a few points.
On the Aug. 26 show, he stated, “Everyone on my father’s side has called me Kels my whole life,” but “my father growing up just kind of got lazy and didn’t really want to keep correcting everyone who was calling him Kell-see, so he just went along with Kell-see.”
“So, my father worked from home and answered the phone every every time someone said, ‘Hello, it’s Kell-see,’” he said. My name is Kell-see, by the way. I’m going with what my father and brother have to say. Thank you to all of the Kelses in the family tree. I hope we’re not offending you.”
So, if you’re arguing who the greatest tight end in football is, Kell-see is good, but Kels isn’t bad either.
Kelce is a baller on the field no matter how you pronounce his name.
Travis Kelce is a standout for the Chiefs, whether he’s referred to as Kell-see or Kels.
The news about Travis Kelce surprised everyone since his performance for the Chiefs has made him one of the most well-known athletes in the world.
Kelce was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and despite only appearing in one game as a rookie due to injury, he has been a standout ever since, averaging over 850 receiving yards each season.
Kelce has also been selected to the Pro Bowl every year since 2015, and he has over 1,000 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2020. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl three times and set the single-season record most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,416 in 2020.
The Cincinnati native has developed into one of the finest pass-catching tight ends in NFL history, and he is a major reason why the Chiefs are one of the top teams in the league. He even assisted in their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in the last two years, and they won it all in the 2019 season.
Simply stated, Kelce is a game-changer.
So, no matter how you pronounce Kelce’s surname, one thing is certain: he is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. He’s a box office draw.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Travis Kelce Says He Was ‘Too Wild’ for the Chiefs Early in His Career, Admits His Personality Can ‘Shock the City’ RELATED: Travis Kelce Says He Was ‘Too Wild’ for the Chiefs Early in His Career, Admits His Personality Can ‘Shock the City’