Steve Van Pelt of ESPN was a recent guest on the “New Heights” podcast hosted by Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce. During the show, Travis took the opportunity to tell the story about that one time that he was starstruck meeting Van Pelt several years ago.
I met you on the biggest stage back in, I think, 2016, maybe? At the national championship, I see the man himself, SVP…We talk about this all the time on here, those ESPN SportsCenter days growing up with Stuart Scott, yourself, Rich Eisen, Steve Levy, the whole gang. You guys drove our love for sports,” the 35-year-old Chiefs downfield weapon told Van Pelt.
“That’s so cool to hear,” Van Pelt responded.
Travis continued: “I saw you at the national championship, and it was when you had just started doing bad beats. You were the nicest guy in the world. I’m shaking because I’m actually meeting the man himself. And you were just so cool, so calm.”
Travis was completely starstruck the first time he met @notthefakeSVP pic.twitter.com/d0Bm4dJAVw
— New Heights (@newheightshow) April 4, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce to continue playing after tough Super Bowl loss
Of course, Travis Kelce would be a rockstar in his field as well. Apart from being the boyfriend of pop icon Taylor Swift, Travis has also built a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy career — and he’s not done yet. After the Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in last February’s Super Bowl, the 10-time Pro Bowler said that he will not be retiring just yet, as he looks to help Kansas City have a big rebound in 2025.
In 2024, Kelce recorded 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 97 receptions and 133 targets through 16 games.
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