It’s hard not only being an NFL star and the boyfriend of an icon at least that’s what Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is saying.
This past year the three-time Super Bowl winner not only turned 34 but also started dating music superstar Taylor Swift which garnered tons of attention and new fans.
Through it all, Kelce is trying to find balance in his personal and professional life which at times has been a challenge for him.
“Last year was pretty taxing on my body,” Kelce told reporters after the Kansas City Chiefs finished a training camp practice at Missouri Western State University on Saturday. “I’ve had more snaps than a lot of guys if not everybody in the NFL over the past five, six years, and I’m very prideful of that, but I know it has taken a toll on my body. So it’s just making sure that my body’s getting that rest and that ability to train harder and be able to withstand an entire 17-to-20-game season.”
He also has been busy following Swift around the world on her tour which also may have contributed to his issues. Still, Kelce doesn’t seem ready to shut it down just yet.
“This is my sanctuary,” Kelce said. “St. Joe, Year 12. That means I’ve spent just about an entire year of my life up here in the dorms. Everybody may say that is pretty grueling, but I enjoy it. There’s something about this place to get you ready every single year, and I’m not going to lie, I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling.
“This is where it all starts. You can say it starts in the offseason, and yeah, you want to get that foundation set in the offseason of the leadership and the mentality and things like that. But at the end of the day, this is where you really find out what the team is made of, how you sharpen the iron, how your guys practice your practice habits, the attention to detail, and nobody does it better than Coach [Andy] Reid.”
Many thought that this season may be it for Kelce, who turns 35 in October, and that he would go on and settle down with Swift and start a family. Instead, it sounds like he has some miles left in him and plans on playing a little while longer.
“Over every single season you find ways to get better at what works for you, [eliminate] what doesn’t, and you just want to amp it up every single year so that you keep finding ways to kind of climb that staircase of success,” Kelce said. “I would say I’m doing some things differently but nothing really in the grand scheme of things. Just putting my nose to the grinder.”
That might be disappointing news for Swifties who expected the couple to get engaged soon. It seems at least for now, that Travis Kelce still enjoys his life as a pro football player.
{ESPN}