Travis Kelce will come full circle next weekend in New Orleans – 15 years after wild Louisiana parties and a failed drugs test once threatened to derail his football career.
After getting past the Buffalo Bills in last weekend’s dramatic AFC Championship game, Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs are heading to NOLA for their third straight Super Bowl on February 9.
Andy Reid‘s champions have the chance to write history at Caesars Superdome, where a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles will see them become the first team ever to pull off a famous ‘three-peat’.
And should they seal that historic feat, many believe Kelce might end his career there and ride off into the sunset on the highest of highs.
Bringing the curtain down on his NFL playing days in New Orleans would be a poetic ending for the 35-year-old, who has bittersweet memories of the Louisiana city.
Back in 2010, Kelce was briefly kicked out of the University of Cincinnati when too much partying in the Big Easy before the Bearcats played in the Sugar Bowl led to a failed drugs test for marijuana, which landed him on the school’s suspended list.
Travis Kelce will come full circle at his third straight Super Bowl next weekend in New Orleans
Kelce, pictured with older brother Jason in their college days, was kicked out of the University of Cincinnati for failing a drugs test after partying in the Louisiana city back in 2010
‘I got kicked out of college because of that,’ he said during an appearance on the ‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ podcast in July 2023.
‘I partied a little too much down there [New Orleans], got hit with a drug test and from that point on, I realized I’ve got to tighten the f*** up.’
In a tell-all interview with The Athletic last year, Kelce’s former college roommate Zach Collaros recalled his mom accidentally walking in on the future Chiefs star lighting up a joint during his suspension.
‘My mom visited one time,’ said Collaros. ‘This was when Travis was suspended. She doesn’t like going to the games so she just stayed behind and cleaned the house, which is a story in and of itself.
‘She smells something and walks downstairs in the basement and it’s Trav — smoking a joint. She goes: “Travis, aren’t you suspended for this?!?”
‘He goes: “Hey Momma Collaros, it’s all right. When are we going to the game?” And they walked to the game together. ‘
Travis confirmed the story was an accurate one on his New Heights podcast, having told his ex-college buddies to speak freely about their experience together in the piece.
‘I made sure to tell them don’t hold back, tell all the good stories,’ he insisted. ‘And sure enough they mentioned all the really good ones, like Zach’s mom walking in on me firing up in the garage before one of the games.
‘Absolutely hilarious. That’s how I was living back then.’
The future NFL star failed a drugs test for marijuana before Cincinnati played in the Sugar Bowl
Kelce admitted he ‘partied too much’ in the Big Easy before being kicked out of college
Fortunately Jason was on hand to convince coaches to let his younger brother back in
Travis went on to record 59 receptions for 875 yards and 10 TDs in 35 Bearcats appearances
Fortunately for Travis, older brother Jason – who was in his senior year at the time – was on hand to help after begging Cincinnati coaches to give him another chance.
‘He went into the coaches office and talked to numerous coaches to try and give me another chance,’ the Chiefs star said about Jason.
‘I’m forever in debt to this guy for putting his name, our name – the Kelce name – on the line. When I say I owe it all to him, I really do.’
Without Jason’s intervention in Cincinnati, Travis may never have gone on to play in the NFL and become one of the greatest tight ends in history.
After playing as a quarterback for the Bearcats before his suspension, Kelce was only allowed to return to the team as a walk-on tight end with three signal callers ahead of him on the depth chart.
That move proved a blessing in disguise he recorded 59 receptions for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns in 35 appearances, earning him a First-team All-Big East selection in 2012 and entry to the 2013 NFL Draft.
Kelce was selected by the Chiefs with the 63rd overall pick of the draft, and the rest really is history.
He then joined the Chiefs and carved out a legacy as arguably the greatest tight end in history
Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift has warned him about behaving in New Orleans this time around
The 10-time Pro Bowler could win his fourth Super Bowl in New Orleans next Sunday, which would further cement his legacy as the greatest tight end of all time in many people’s eyes.
After Sunday’s win over the Bills, Kelce referenced his infamous New Orleans debacle while celebrating on the field at Arrowhead with girlfriend Taylor Swift.
‘Take me back to my old New Orleans home. I owe New Orleans a little something,’ he told Swift and his mother, Donna Kelce, after securing a place in the Super Bowl.
‘Yeah, not going to Bourbon Street,’ Swift retorted.
‘Yeah, I won’t be having as much fun that night,’ Travis replied.
