Travis Kelce put together a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs, and is a big reason why the franchise became a dynasty over the last half decade. However, if the star tight end had his way, his career would have taken place in a different location.
Kelce, the cover star of GQ magazine’s September issue, recently did an in-depth interview with Sean Manning. The feature covered everything from his career to his relationship with Taylor Swift to his off-field ambitions. Kelce also told a detailed story about his pre-draft process, and how he literally begged the Cleveland Browns to draft him.
A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Kelce revealed that he cried in the office of Rob Chudzinski, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns at the time, during a pre-draft meeting. The tight end apologized to Chudzinski for getting emotional, but explained that he grew up in the Cleveland area, rooting for the Browns all his life, and would do anything to play for them.
According to Kelce, the head coach looked at him like he was insane. Whether that’s what Chudzinski and the Browns were actually thinking or not, Cleveland didn’t draft him. He instead went to the Chiefs in the third round, and made the Browns look foolish for ignoring his plea.
Travis Kelce details his pre-draft meeting with Cleveland Browns
Situations like this are rather common in the NFL, as players rarely end up with the team they grew up a fan of or where they hoped to get drafted. This instance is especially bad for Cleveland, because Kelce ended up being arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and the Browns are still struggling.
The Chiefs are certainly thankful Kelce’s plea was ignored, and the tight end has definitely made Kansas City his home. While he wouldn’t change a thing now, he has never hidden his love and passion for Cleveland and the Browns. Just earlier this year, Kelce expressed that the inner Browns fan in him is hoping Shedeur Sanders can create a special era for Cleveland.
While part of his heart will always be back home, he’s currently dialed in to Kansas City, as he’s motivated to get the Chiefs back to the top.
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