Jason Kelce Announces His Retirement from the NFL

thanks for coming

guys we'll see how long this

lasts

not a good start there we

go there I

lay

come

on oh man this is going to be

long

there I lay face up in the cool

morning's Dew covered grass waiting for

a whistle I knew would come at any

second knowing full well Anthony harell

was a couple yards away on the ground

waiting for the

same the foreign objects that rest upon

my shoulders and head weighed me down

and

unbounded my awaiting

body

she

as the whistle blew I

arose turned all in one motion and ran

at my

teammate

it isn't even the Collision I remember

most but the feeling

before of what in the is about to

happen

how is it going to feel will I

win whenever I smell the clippings of a

freshly mowed

grass I am brought back to this

day

I brought back to this

day 12 years

old rockboro middle school first day in

pads 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 the best way I can 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 and like any other sport the

hairs would on my arms would stand

up the hairs on my arms would stand

up I could hit somebody run around like

a crazy lunatic and and then get told

good

job I Lov football whether it was in my

backyard with my

brother on the playground with my

friends or shiting up on Friday nights

at Cleveland Heights High

School I love every I loved everything

about

it although I hadn't met him yet Jeff

Stalin often shares a quote his father

would tell

him more often than not the easy way is

the Long

Way football was hard much harder than

any sport I had ever played physically

and mentally in most other sports I was

bigger faster stronger than everyone

else on the football field those traits

were matched on the lacrosse field I

felt like LeBron

James on the football field I was Billy

Hoy I love the challenge the football

was the joy of winning the agony of

defeat the anxiety of the unknown and

the

camaraderie of my

teammates I'd like to thank my high

school football coaches Mike Jones Damen

creel Kahari Hicks and Gary roboli I

don't I coach Robo you know who you are

uh my hockey coaches Kurt Gunther Steve

bogus and Eddie babcox and my lacrosse

coaches Felipe Gana and Ben

Beckman I'd also like to thank my band

teacher Brett Baker all of you T me

taught me countless lessons and put up

with a very young rambunctious kid that

was full of immaturity stupidity and

Cockiness I without would without

question not be where I am today without

your

efforts with me and the countless other

children you served in my brother and

I's Hometown Cleveland

Heights

from Cleveland Heights I entered the

University of Cincinnati as a

walk-on as a linebacker I had no idea

what to expect but scenes from Rudy

would often race in my

mind it became apparent immediately that

Walk-Ons would have to fight harder for

their opportunities than the rest of the

team I had no stars no investment from

the team or the coaches I'd have to earn

everything and that's good because I had

no clue what hard work was yet

knowing that I had to earn my respect

every day made me committed like never

before in my first college weightlifting

session graduate assistant Jordan Roth

put me through the hardest weightlifting

session I had ever been through at the

end of it he said if I could walk around

the perimeter of the weight room holding

my hands above my head I could

leave um and if I couldn't hold my hands

above my head I'd have to stay and clean

the whole weight

room and that entire year I found out

later that uh cleaning the weight room

was something I would get used

to that entire year I consider a

blessing dantonio ran a tough program

the weight room was even tougher and I

redefined in my mind what working hard

actually

was they pushed me into areas of fatigue

I didn't know I had and for that

experience I am forever grateful to all

of

them after red shirting my first year

marked Antonio left Cincinnati for

Michigan State and we hired up and

cominging head coach from Central

Michigan Brian

Kelly this turned out to be the biggest

turning point in my career not because

of Brian he was great and we enjoyed

tremendous success together but because

he brought with him strength coach Paul

Longo two weeks into winter workouts

Paul whispered to me in the middle of

warm-ups you'd make a great

Center

I Shrugged it

off offensive line never in a million

years did I think I'd play that

position Paul was different as opposed

to working guys into the ground his

motto was work smarter not

harder his main goal was to improve us

as athletes and make us stronger faster

more explosive he didn't care about

anything

else once during a conditioning I saw a

teammate struggling to keep up during a

run so I slowed down to encourage him

and he yelled at me he said you run this

exercise the best you can lead from the

front it's my job to take care of the

back Paul moved me to offensive line

that

spring and it ended up being the single

greatest move that ever happened to me

as a football

player there are too many many people to

thank for my times in Cincinnati so I'd

like to limit it to coaches Paul Longo

Jeff Quinn Brian Kelly Mark Antonio

strength coaches Tim Sanger Dave Andrews

coach Carrie Colmes coach Butcher Jones

as well as athletic trainer Bob manene

and orthopedic Dr Angelo

kosimo of course all of my teammates and

Friends University support staff all of

you made my time there something I

wouldn't trade for the world some of the

most enjoyable years of my life

after my senior year ended it became

apparent the NFL would be an opportunity

although few teams had interest in a

lineman that weighed 2880

pounds lucky for me the Eagles had just

hired Howard mud a legendary coach who

valued offensive lineman for their

athleticism more than their

size having watched and emulated Jeff

Saturday in my own game it all felt Too

Perfect When the Eagles selected me in

the sixth round immediately after being

drafted my agent Jason

Bernstein said you have no idea how

perfect this is you're are going to fit

in

great come on you're going to fit in

great in Philadelphia this is your kind

of

town 13 seasons

in

Philadelphia and I look back on a career

filled with ups and

downs I'd like to thank the four head

coaches I played for Andy Reid Chip

Kelly Doug Peterson and Nick

serani consider myself lucky to have

played for each of you I'd like to thank

Jeffrey lurry for his dedication to

building an organization that values its

employees as people and gives them the

resources necessary to

thrive I've only had one

boss so I don't know much to compare

to but Jeffrey always made it a point to

show his appreciation and love for his

players on and more importantly off the

field I'd like to thank howy Roseman for

drafting me and for always working hard

to improve our team even from the other

side of the building that one year

whether it be coaches players salary cap

or the numerous other things you control

you work tirelessly and calculatedly to

improve this

organization I'd like to thank big Dom

dandro truly the life force of this

organization no one gives more time and

energy to this team at the drop of a hat

Dom is by your side my family and I give

our sincerest thank yous for always

treating us with dignity and

assistance there are so many teammates

coaches abort staff trainers equipment

cafeteria workers you guys have no idea

the amount of people in this building it

takes to assist our players and

me i' would like to thank you all by

name but we'd be here far too long for

anyone to continue listening so instead

I will share memories if that's all

right with you all when I look back down

the road I'm sure there are things I

will forget but these are some of the

things I'm sure I

won't I won't forget the call I got from

Andy Reid on draft day and my father

rushing into the

room come

on with tears streaming down his face as

his son's

dreams had just been

realized it had just been announced on

TV I had been drafted by the

Philadelphia C

Eagles and I won't forget two years

later that same

man and my brother receiving a

call and him being drafted by the Kansas

City

Chiefs this time the

tears streaming down both my father and

I's face as my brother had just realized

his

own

I won't forget the first time I saw

Jason Peters do a one-on-one pass set

with Trent Cole and being amazed at the

speed balance and power I had just

witnessed it reminded me or looked like

a grizzly bear wrestling a

panther it was so impressive it made me

question if I was good enough to play it

in this

league I watched the next couple guys go

and thought okay I can do

this I won't forget Thirsty Thursdays at

879 a bar owned by Brent celic and Todd

harmans that stayed open a whole six

months because nobody paid for a

drink poor business practices indeed

that bar may have Clos quickly but the

friendships at Forge remain open to this

day I won't forget my second training

camp walking downstairs on my leehigh

door to paramedics rushing in and Coach

Dave Cy's look on his

face and made the

expression like he had seen a

ghost

a whole lot

clearer I asked if I could

help and he said no just go to

practice come

on we had find out later at practice

that Garrett Reed had passed

away only a few hours after that Andy

addressed the

team it's the most intense moment I've

ever shared with a group of

men and the outpouring of support and

love for my

friend and the Reed family at the

funeral soon after

was truly

remarkable I won't forget Chip Kelly's

first game as Eagles head coach against

the Washington Redskins

we ran close to 50 plays in the first

half we were so tired but it didn't

matter because they couldn't stop us the

NFL had never seen something like this

before I remember all of us thinking

after that game this is going to change

the

NFL I won't forget walking out onto a

snowless field before warm-ups against

the Detroit

Lions and then walking out of the tunnel

to a

blizzard the Lions and white jerseys

blended into the snow so well I could

not see the secondary of the

defense in the second half was all the

Sha McCoy he somehow figured out a way

to cut on a dime that day and man it was

incredible to watch it was probably the

most fun game of football I've ever been

in it felt like we were all kids again

that day just playing in the

backyard I won't forget finding out in

the 2017 Rams

game that Carson Wentz at tour his

ACL the whole team had an uneasy feeling

in the locker room all of us questioning

what this would mean until Malcolm

Jenkins addressed the team he gave a

very typical Malcolm speech invoking

confidence in who we were and breaking

it down with this patented we all we got

we all we

need I won't forget Nick Foles having

the game of his life on the biggest

stage

possible and the biggest dick on the

team going up to Doug

Peterson and asking for the Philly

special and Doug Peterson having the

biggest balls in the

stadium to say yeah let's do it

and Brandon Graham finding a way to stop

Tom Brady

once literally

once and the way the ball hung in the

air on that last Hill Mary and how it

felt like an

eternity just looking no sound

registering completely engulfed in the

moment when it finally landed running

onto the field looking for a flag

anything that would mean it was over

we had done

it I won't forget the parade and what it

meant to the city of

Philadelphia The Joy it brought our

community and the closure it gave to so

many the stories from fans that had been

waiting generations for that moment

fulfilled that Triumph to another

level on the route I remember meeting a

woman with ashes of a dead relative whom

she had promised wouldn't miss the

parade if the Eagles had ever won it

a speech that had written itself and one

that had

symbolized what we had all lived as

players as a team and as a

city that wasn't my speech it was

Philadelphia's I won't forget my mother

becoming mom of the

NFL a representative for all moms out

there who have sacrificed so much for

their

children I won't forget Nick seran

sending me kegs of beer to convince me

to keep playing these last few

years he knows the key to my

heart I won't forget making the playoffs

in his first season the Super Bowl in

his next and the immense heartbreak at

the collapse of this last

season and although last season truly

sucked I wouldn't trade any of my time

with you or those teams for the world

everything happens for a reason and I

have truly enjoyed my time with you

coach sometimes the flowers get knocked

back a

bit but the roots

remain and I can't wait to watch what re

blossoms this next

season

I won't forget falling short to the

Chiefs this is where it's going to go

off the

rails nice

BR I won't forget falling short to the

Chiefs and the conflicted feeling of

immense heartbreak I had had

selfishly for myself and for my

teammates and at the same time the

amount of

pride

I had that my

brother had climbed the mountain top

once

again we have a small

family we have a small family one we

have a small family no cousins one Aunt

one one Uncle it was really my brother

and I our whole

lives we did almost everything together

competed

fought

laughed

cried and learned from each

other we invented games imagined

ourselves as star players of that time

we'd Envision making the winning plays

day after day on colar Ridge

Road we won countless Super Bowls in our

minds before ever leaving the

house and when we weren't

playing we were at the other ones games

but seated in a lawn chair or a bench a

Capri Sun in our hand that mom had

packed cheering during the game and

waiting outside afterward to celebrate a

victory

together or offer encouragement after a

defeat there is no chance I'd be here

without the bond Travis and I

share it made me stronger tougher

smarter and taught me the values of

cooperation loyalty patience and

understanding it's only too poetic I

found my career being

fulfilled in the City of Brotherly

Love I knew that relationship all too

well some people struggle to play in

this city they can't handle the booze

the

media or our

fans consider it a great blessing to

play in the most passion at Sports Town

in

America the sense of urgency in this

city to win has pushed our

organization has fueled it to take

chances fixed problems and work

tirelessly in an effort to

win at times you hate it as an

athlete especially those new to our

city but when you've been through it

enough you learn to appreciate

it no one celebrates their own like the

city of

Philadelphia athletes become demigods in

the city even ones whose Deeds Spann

decades

before the Eagles are the number one

ticket in town the most talked about

thing at nearly every moment with that

amount of attention you better be ready

to overcome the lows that will

happen and be ready to persevere in the

face of the

criticism

yes they will let you know when you are

not performing

well every

time but they will also love you if you

show effort

aggression desire the will to

fight they will love you in this city if

you love it the way you love your

brother You Will Be Loved by going above

and beyond to show that you

care because they

care they've been caring for Generations

in this town about this team and they

aren't about to accept a bunch of

excuses and soft ass nonsense

representing the name on the front of

the Jersey something they've invested

their entire lives

in if you don't like what the fans and

media are saying as a player it's very

easy love them treat them like your

brothers and go out and play your balls

off wear your heart on your

sleeve and I guarantee you change those

narratives

I remember seeing zacher shy away from a

block one day one game against vontes

Blick in the Cincinnati

Bengals rightfully so the fans ripped

him apart crushing him for doing it the

next week the first catch I saw Zack her

snag he ran after the catch like I had

never

seen it took three guys to bring him

down and I heard the link erupt with

cheers for his

effort today you won't find a single

Philadelphian with a bad word to say

about Zack Herz in the Legacy he left

behind as players you write the

narratives the fans and media for the

most

part it's occasionally

different only write what you give

them if you go above and beyond in this

city you will be rewarded Beyond Your

Wildest Dream

I saw firsthand the Wrath of the Eagles

fans in the 2016 Eagles

season and rightfully so I had an awful

start to that season where I was often

overpowered had many holding penalties

that cost our

team and looked like one of the worst

centers in the

league I was wanted out of town by

nearly

everyone and it wasn't just the fans

that wanted me to go on it was nearly

everyone in this

organization that offseason I heard

trade rumors Galore and speculation I'd

be cut I imagine if the Eagles had

received a trade offer for a brand new

set of washing machines they may have

pulled the

trigger hell if I was in charge I would

have pulled the

trigger there's only one person in this

building who still wanted

me and it's he who I have to thank most

for the career I've

had

that's Jeff

Stalin no one has been most

influential no one has been more

influential or meaningful to my success

on the field in my career than

Stout I think one of the greatest things

a human being can give another is

belief this world life it can be hard it

can challenge yourself to points of

self-doubt and that is a dangerous place

to

be well I am lucky my whole life I have

been surrounded by people that have

believed in me my father my mother my

brother Paul Longo Howard mud and In My

Darkest Hour as a

Philadelphian Stout was the one who

believed in

me he was adamant my problems could be

fixed with proper technique fundamentals

and work and work we

did that offseason in training camp I

focused on using my hands better playing

with leverage proper

footwork and prepared with an edge to

prove to myself that I was good

enough The Following season in 2017 I

enjoyed the finest season of my 13-year

career not only as a player but as a

team and it meant more because of the

struggles and work we had been

through without him I doubt any of this

would have been possible or that I'd

still be

here since that offseason I have amassed

six all Pros five Pro bowls and I'm

recognized by some as one of the best

centers to ever play the

game I am very proud knowing where I

once

was and the Legacy I have left behind

and the man we can all thank is Jeff

Stalin second Stout quote of the evening

no man is an island we must draw our

strengths from

others I'd like to thank my

teammates my other

brothers oh how I've drawn my strengths

from you

all I was fortunate to play with great

players some of the best of this league

has to

offer but it was really off the field

just sitting in the cafeteria with my

teammate at breaking bread and talking

about life that were some of the most

meaningful times I spent in my

career the NFL is truly like no other

place and at the same time represents

America as a whole like no

other fat offensive lineman from

Cleveland play on the same

field as skinny wide receivers from

Louisiana and kickers from

Chicago tight ends from

Stanford playing next to tackles from

Kilgore community

college defensive ends from inner city

Detroit play next to defensive tackles

from yazu City

Mississippi 6 foot n Jordan

matat plays the same Sport AS 4 foot

eight Darren

sprouls

The Melting Pot of geographic location

economic background race body type

personality and athletic traits of an

NFL locker room is truly

remarkable and we all rely on each other

and respect one another and each of our

differences because we know we're

stronger