Travis Kelce has acknowledged the rise in attention he’s received after taking his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift public-and now his father, Ed Kelce, says he has also noticed a change in his everyday life.
Speaking with Audacy’s Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan on Friday, Jan. 26, the father known affectionately among fans of the Kelce brothers as “Papa Kelce” said he’s often recognized while out in public these days.
“I’ll be in the grocery store or something and somebody will smile and say, ‘Hey,’ come over and say, ‘Hi Ed,’ and I got no idea who they are,” Ed shared.
He credited this shift in part to the media attention placed on the Kelce family ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl.
Travis, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and his older brother Jason, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, played against each other last February, marking the first time two brothers competed on opposing teams during a Super Bowl.
Ed told the radio station that he and his ex-wife, Donna Kelce, had their names “out there” because of their sons’ football successes. However, he explained, “More people recognized us since [Travis] started dating Taylor. With these forces now combined, there are “eyes on ya every place you go,” he added.
The “Cruel Summer” singer has attended 11 Chiefs games in support of Travis since the couple took their relationship public last fall. She was spotted celebrating Travis’ wins on several occasions with his parents.
She also met his brother and sister-in-law last weekend when the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in a playoff game in New York.
Though Ed sees Swift often at games now, he revealed on Friday that he wasn’t always able to identify her by name.
The first time he saw Swift at Travis’ home in Kansas City, Mo., Ed recalled turning to his girlfriend and saying, “Oh my god, I know this kid but I don’t know what her name is.” Ed said he was chastised by his girlfriend, who quickly helped him identify Swift.