Jason Kelce Defends His Brother Travis for Consuming Beer at the Honorary Graduation

In a post published on April 13, Jason Kelce, the 36-year-old former center for the Philadelphia Eagles defended his brother Travis Kelce against a fan who criticized the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs for drinking beer during their commencement ceremony. Jason Kelce responded when an admirer on X requested that the former Philadelphia Eagles star 'interrogate' his brother's 'graduation antics.'

Jason wrote on X, "I know it looks like a graduation from the video, but this was actually at the end of a New Heights Live podcast that we put on to raise money for the University’s NIL. The university did this to poke fun at my brother and I for never really picking up our diplomas." Jason and Travis were present at the University of Cincinnati on April 11 for a surprise commencement ceremony, which they facilitated through their New Heights Live podcast event. Travis, clad in graduation regalia, emerged onstage during the ceremony and, as captured on X by local Cincinnati Bengals radio host Dan Hoard, guzzled a can of beer in front of a jubilant audience before tossing it to the ground. Following that, Dr. Neville Pinto, the chancellor of the university, bestowed upon him his diploma.

Cincinnati Enquirer reported that despite Travis earning a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022 and Jason earning a bachelor's degree in marketing, both brothers skipped their commencement ceremonies. Donna and Ed Kelce, the parents of Travis and Jason, were reportedly in attendance at the commencement ceremony at Fifth Third Arena. Before his renowned moment of consuming alcohol onstage, Travis was observed earlier at the live event performing dance movements alongside his sibling while the podcast was being recorded. Specifically, he was seen swaying to a marching band rendition of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off at the event.

Before the event, Jason also expressed sincere reflections on the experience. As reported by The Mirror, he said, "Travis and I are both incredibly honored and it's crazy that we're being put in positions to stuff like this. But anytime we come back, there's such a way of emotion and memories that really hit you, especially walking into this room. You spend so much time here, and as a student-athlete, you're invested in the football program, the university. You're here non-stop, and it's such a big part of anybody's career or life that whenever you come back, it definitely hits you full force." On the eve of the 2023 NFL draft, the brothers previously hosted a live program at Kansas City Music Hall that drew an all-star cast, including Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Patrick Mahomes. During the podcast's Beer Bowl in July, they also recorded live at Ocean Drive bar in Sea Isle City in support of the Eagles Autism Foundation.