Considering how often athletic greatness seems to run in families, it’s pretty surprising that last Sunday’s showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was the first time two brothers had played against each other in the Super Bowl.
Despite having lengthy NFL careers, not even Peyton and Eli Manning, nor Tiki and Ronde Barber, ever faced off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The brothers in question at this year's Super Bowl were Travis and Jason Kelce. For those not in the know, Travis, 33, is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Jason, 35, is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs won 38-35, giving Travis bragging rights over his big brother.
Their mother, Donna Kelce, has become known for her unwavering support of her sons, sometimes traveling across the country in order to catch both Travis and Jason in action when they play in different cities on the same day. She even has a special Chiefs-Eagles combination jersey with her sons' names and uniform numbers on it, as she obviously wants to support them both on the rare occasions they play against each other. “Somebody is going to go home a loser, and neither one of them lose very well,” Donna Kelce said in the run-up to Super Bowl LVII.
Kelce Bowl:
- Luckily, both Travis and Jason already had Super Bowl victories before last Sunday's game. Jason won in 2018 when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, and Travis won his first Super Bowl ring in 2020 when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. Donna Kelce was there for both unforgettable moments.
- The Kelce brothers never actually took to the field at the same time, as they are both offensive players. It will have to be another set of brothers who achieve that Super Bowl "first."
- As head coaches, John and Jim Harbaugh were on opposing sidelines during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, with John's Baltimore Ravens beating Jim's San Francisco 49ers 34-31.