Who Is Travis Kelce?

By (author) Labrecque, Ellen; By (author) Who HQ; Illustrated by Putra, Dede
Description:
How did a young boy who played three sports become a two-time Super Bowl champion? Find out in this exciting Who HQ Now book about one of America''s favorite football players.

Travis Kelce was born an athlete -- he played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. He excelled at football, and served as Cleveland Heights High School''s quarterback -- though he''d one day become a famous tight end because of his impressive skills on the field. Travis was offered a scholarship to play football at the University of Cincinnati. After being drafted in the NFL to play for the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis got his first Super Bowl win. Travis won his second Super Bowl in 2022, when the Chiefs defeated his brother''s team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Although he is best known for his excellence in football, Travis is also the founder of the Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation, which provides children in need with opportunities in education, athletics, and the arts. He is also a podcaster and an avid car collector.
Biographical note:
Ellen Labrecque has written more than 50 books for young children. She lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jeff, and two children, Sam and Juliet. She especially loves writing biographies and in her free time enjoys reading, traveling to new places, and running.
Excerpt:
Who Is Travis Kelce?
It was February 12, 2023, and tight end Travis Kelce (say: KEL-­see) of the Kansas City Chiefs was ready to shine! He was playing at the largest event in American sports, the Super Bowl. Millions of people watched the game from all over the world. Travis played his best in the spotlight. He and the Chiefs faced the Philadelphia Eagles. Travis’s brother, Jason, started at center for the Eagles. It was a historic moment . . . the first time brothers had ever faced off as players on opposing teams in the Super Bowl, the biggest game of the National Football League (NFL).

On the Chiefs’ opening drive, quarterback Patrick Mahomes lofted an eighteen-­yard pass to Travis. Travis seized the moment. He snatched the ball out of the air in the end zone.

Touchdown! Travis dropped the ball on the ground and broke into a dance move. He swiveled his hips and jiggled his leg. For a couple seconds, Travis moved like he was in the middle of a dance club, not on a football field. “End zone dances” were started in 1969 by football player Elmo Wright as a way to celebrate scoring a touchdown, and now many players do them . . . but not always tight ends.

“You don’t really see tight ends out here doing dances in the end zone,” Travis said. “But if you see me at night out on the town, I’m having a good time—­I’m always dancing. It started in the backyard, not to necessarily showboat—­but to be a showman. It’s part of how we grew up, how we played the game, and now that I’m in the NFL, why not break it out?”

Travis is the best tight end in the league. He is big, fast, and strong, with great hands—­which means he hardly ever drops a pass. Travis is also a proven all-­league dancer. He busts a move every time he scores—­from the shmoney to the nae nae to the Ric Flair, to name just a few. Off the field, Travis is just as much fun to watch—­whether it is his colorful clothing choices, his outspoken role on his popular podcast, his hilarious Saturday Night Live appearances, or his very public dating life. Fans and foes alike cannot get enough of the Travis Kelce show. How did a kid from Ohio blossom into the NFL’s ultimate tight end and entertainer?
 
Chapter 1
A Rough-­and-­Tumble Childhood
 
Travis Michael Kelce was born on October 5, 1989, in Westlake, Ohio. His mother, Donna, worked at a bank, and his father, Ed, worked at a steel mill. Travis’s brother, Jason, is two years