PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WISH) — Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has announced his retirement. The six time Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl champion made the announcement Monday, according to ESPN.
“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 in an emotional press conference.
“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.”
Kelce, 36, was a sixth-round draft pick in 2011, he played his entire career with the Eagles. He was named an All-Pro 6 times and was selected to seven Pro Bowls in his 13 season.
Kelce can weigh plenty of options for his post-retirement career. He has achieved international fame with the “New Heights” podcast that he hosts and then became even more popular when his brother Travis Kelce started dating music mega-star Taylor Swift.
Rumors swirled about Kelce’s retirement after the Eagles lost a wild-card game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this year.
