‘I could hit somebody and get told good job’ – Beloved Eagles legend Jason Kelce named one of NFL’s Greatest Draft Picks of the Last 25 Years after $100M podcast empire and emotional retirement rocked Philly - suong

Since 2000, there have been 5,350 players selected in the NFL draft — that includes 307 Pro Bowlers and 39 Pro Football Hall of Famers, so far. There’s always more coming down the pipeline.

The point is, out of those 5,350 players, there are just a select few who we will all remember for the rest of our lives — players like former Philadelphia Eagles center and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Kelce.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled Kelce out as one of the Greatest NFL Draft Picks of the last 25 years — excluding Top 10 picks — putting him toward the top of the list.

Kelce was sixth round pick (No. 191 overall) out of the University of Cincinnati in the 2011 NFL draft. That was just 2 years before his younger brother and fellow future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce was selected in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2 brothers have combined for 4 Super Bowl wins — 3 for Travis and 1 for Jason — and 7 Super Bowl appearances. Jason Kelce played for the Eagles from 2011 to 2023.

“Taken three rounds later than his younger brother two years (later), Jason was a stalwart six-time first-team All-Pro for the usually competitive Eagles,” Gagnon wrote on June 25.

Kelce was one of 2 Eagles to make the list alongside quarterback Jalen Hurts, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Widely regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history, Kelce was part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown pregame crew in 2024.

Kelce Bros Signed Reported $100M Deal

Since becoming the first brothers to play against each other in Super Bowl LVII following the 2022 season, Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce have seen their fame shoot into the stratosphere.

The brothers now own a media and entertainment empire that includes the “New Heights” podcast, which they co-host and which sold its rights to Amazon’s Wondery for a reported $100 million in August 2024.

“We saw other people doing podcasts and being successful, so we decided to try it,” Jason Kelce said. “And we just so happened to play each other in the Super Bowl that first year we did the podcast.”

One of Most Beloved Philly Athletes of All Time

In the pantheon of the most beloved Philadelphia sports figures of all time, Kelce ranks alnogside the greatest to ever do it — a group that includes former Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson, former Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and former Philadelphia Flyers center Bobby Clarke.

If you wanted to see what Kelce meant to Philly — and vice versa — just watch his emotional retirement speech.

“I’ve been asked many times why did I choose football — what drew me to the game — and I never have an answer that gets it right,” Kelce said through tears. “The best way I could explain it is what draws you to your favorite song … your favorite book. It’s what it makes you feel. The seriousness of it. The intensity of it.

“Stepping on the field was the most alive and free I had ever felt. There was a visceral feeling with football, unlike any sport. The hairs on my arms would stand up. I could hit somebody, run around like a crazed lunatic and then get told, ‘Good job.’ I love football.”