Jason Kelce, sporting a blue beret that perfectly matched his “USA” T-shirt, displayed the same enthusiasm at the Paris Olympics as he did throughout his NFL career. Alongside his wife, Kylie, he cheered on the U.S. women’s field hockey team in their opening match on Saturday night.
Kylie, who played field hockey during her school years, had a special connection to the team. Earlier this year, she made a TikTok video with some of the U.S. players. With Jason’s recent retirement from the NFL, the timing for a trip to Paris for the Olympics couldn’t have been better.
“I would say I’ve always wanted to come and see (an) Olympic games,” Kylie shared with The Associated Press after the U.S. team’s 4-1 loss to Argentina, a favorite for the medal. “When they qualified to come to Paris, I was like, that kind of makes sense. And then when I got to sit down with Ashley and Kelee, it was kind of a no-brainer. … Through and through, it made sense. We’re happy to be here.”
Jason, whose NFL training camps previously clashed with the Summer Games, was excited to finally have the opportunity to attend. His brother, Travis Kelce, is currently in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs, while his well-known girlfriend, Taylor Swift, is on her European tour in Munich.
“When we found out that we were going to have an opportunity to go to this, the more we thought about it, we were like, ‘Let’s take advantage of it now that we can actually do it,’” Jason said. “We love sports, we love competition, we love world events. This is such a unique place where the entire world gets to come together and bond over competition and sports.”
The Kelces are no strangers to the world of competitive sports. Jason, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Kylie, a former field hockey defender, are both deeply passionate about athletics. Kylie humorously recounted her TikTok experience with players Ashley Sessa and Kelee Lepage, admitting that she embarrassed herself but found it worthwhile.
“It was just really cool to sit down and talk with them about what this means to them, how they’ve looked forward to it and what it took for them get here and it’s so amazing to see them on this stage,” Kylie said. “It’s just sort of this full-circle moment of I feel like the field hockey community really bands together. No matter what level you’re playing, you can appreciate what this is.”
Ashley Sessa, who scored the only goal for the U.S. team, praised Kylie Kelce, calling her one of the coolest people she has met.
“Meeting Kylie was an amazing experience to meet someone who also shares the same passion to grow the game,” Sessa told the AP. “Having the opportunity to connect and relate with her is great. She has an amazing heart and is down to earth.”
Jason, observing the game, commended the young U.S. team, noting their hard-fought effort against a top-tier opponent.
“They played hard, they’re a young team and they played arguably the best team in the world,” he said. “It was a fun game to watch and proud of the girls for how hard they fought.”
As for his stylish beret? “A souvenir shop,” Jason Kelce said with a smile.
