Travis Kelce admitted he did have to reel back his personal life to make sure his Kansas City Chiefs teammates knew his focus was 100 percent on the team amid his relationship with Taylor Swift.
The star tight end exploded into the spotlight after his romance with the popstar went public in September and America’s favorite couple have dominated headlines with the singer attending several of his games, including an affectionate display following the Chiefs AFC Championship win.
The NFL star admitted he had to take a step back and look at people’s perceptions of him amid the whirlwind romance as ESPN host Pat McAfee likened his new-found fame to the Kardashians.
‘I 100 percent had to reel it back. Everybody in this building knows my intentions. Football is my main focus, right now,’ Kelce said during a guest appearance on the Pat McAfee show Wednesday.
‘There’s a lot of people counting on me in this city, in this build and in this organization. So, this is my No 1 focus at the time and on top of that, it’s in my heart to be able pour everything I’ve got onto the field.
‘There’s been some perceptions – and people can perceive what they want – but I wanted to make sure that the men and women in this building knew that I was 100 percent focused on this team and get this team to where we going this week.
‘And 100 percent I had to look back and take a step back and look at how I was portraying myself to the world and make sure everyone knew I was focused, all while still enjoying my life off the field.’
McAfee went on to praise the two-time Super Bowl winner for being a ‘gentleman’ throughout his very public relationship with the 12-time Grammy Award winner and sharing the spotlight with her.
‘We’re just trying to reel in the good ones, win them over one at a time baby,’ Travis added.
But both Kelce and Swift have faced questions with some fans and analysts blaming the songstress for the dip in the Chiefs star’s output at times this season.
Some skeptics have even cast doubt over the true nature of the relationship but McAfee claimed the public was beginning to love the couple.
‘It’s a beautiful thing isn’t it?’ Kelce responded. ‘We’re just two people in a relationship supporting each other and having fun with it. It’s nothing more than that. No matter how much the world wants to paint the picture and make us the enemy, we just have fun with it. We enjoy every single but of it.
‘I love it when Taylor comes and supports me and enjoys the game with the fam and friends. It’s been nothing but a wonderful year.
‘She’s dealt with it forever. We hear but we hardly ever talk about it. It’s nothing to even talk about. ‘
He added: ‘It’s exciting for me, but it was all brand new. From having the paparazzi following me every single day into work, to everybody having my name on their talk show, every single day, whether it’s sports, whether it’s not sports, It’s just been a crazy, crazy ride I could have never anticipated.
‘I’m having fun with it. The majority of the world is having fun with it, outside of all the cranky NFL fans that just don’t want to see the Chiefs win.’
The A-List couple hugged and kissed on the field at the M&T Bank Stadium in the aftermath of a magnificent victory for the Chiefs over the Baltimore Ravens – who were tipped as strong favorites to win.
Kelce found his girlfriend as he waited for the AFC Championship trophy presentation in emotional scenes and Swift looked almost tearful as the couple had a moment to celebrate together with the eyes of the world on them. And when Kelce duly got on stage and took the mic, he was euphoric – channeling the Beastie Boys by shouting: ‘You’ve got to fight for your right to party!’.
Swift now turns her attention to four nights of her blockbuster Eras Tour in Japan’s capital from February 7-10 before now having to race back to the Allegiant Stadium for the biggest night in America’s sporting calendar. But she is expected to make the journey to be there for Kelce.
She and Travis took center-stage for the post-game celebrations but during the showdown itself, the singer looked frustrated at appearing on the CBS coverage around the midway stage. She could be seen clearly saying ‘go away, please’ with the camera lingering on her in a VIP suite while advertising next weekend’s Grammy Awards.
She’s going to have to accept it on February 11, though, given she will travel thousands of miles to make the game. The 17-hour time difference works in her favor on her return to the US from Japan and it will be the 13th Chiefs game this season that Swift will have cheered the team on for – her lucky number.
Kelce hit new heights of fame in 2023 after winning his second Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, hosting Saturday Night Live and taking his romance with Taylor Swift public.
‘I’d be silly to say I didn’t notice it go up,’ he said when asked about his rise in fame in a press conference before the AFC Championship game.
‘I think the Super Bowl helped that and obviously how I live my life off the field, definitely helps out,’ he added with a sly smile. ‘But I brought this on myself and I do enjoy having fun with it all and making sure my focus is right here in this building.’
The tight end admitted his new relationship with the global superstar and the high profile that comes with it does come with its challenges, especially when it comes to questions over his performance on the field.
‘It’s just the outside noise and dealing with everyone else’s perspective of things,’ he said.
‘You hear it through the media throughout the season when I haven’t had success or things aren’t going well that perhaps we aren’t focused, but if you’re in this building, you know what’s going on. So you’ve got to compartmentalize what you’re hearing and make sure you’re staying on task and giving everybody in the building and on that team the right perception.’
But he insisted that he and the 12-time Grammy Award winner block out the noise and focus on their relationship.
‘As long as we’re happy, we can’t listen to the outside noise,’ he added.
