Travis Kelce doesn’t need a reason to care—he’s built different. But every now and then, someone pokes the bear. Back in July 2023, during a Chiefs training camp session, Kelce let that fire spill over. After catching a touchdown from Patrick Mahomes, second-year linebacker Jack Cochrane tried to punch the ball loose. Kelce didn’t appreciate the extra effort and swung back. “Gotta be a better teammate, gotta be a better leader… plain and simple,” Kelce posted later on X. However, Mahomes wasn’t too worried. “Trav punching the guy—not necessarily the way you want to do it—but you love the fire,” he said. For a team chasing a three-peat, that fire fueled them until they faced the rejuvenated Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Now imagine you’re a rookie walking into OTAs for the first time. You look around and see Mahomes. Then Chris Jones. And then—there he is—Travis Kelce, bouncing off the walls like it’s Sunday night. That’s exactly the vibe Chiefs guard Trey Smith remembers. On the New Heights podcast, Jason Kelce asked Smith what his first impression of Travis was. Smith didn’t hesitate: “Just crazy energy.” If you’ve seen Travis on the field or on the mic, that tracks perfectly.
Talking about Travis’ personality, Trey added, “I was like, ‘Oh, he’s awful—I love this guy.’ You know?” He remembered his very first game, possibly against the Browns, when Kelce scored twice. “I tackled you, slapping your helmet in the end zone ’cause you’re just psycho, bro,” he said. Meanwhile, Travis was just making aggressive noises on the podcast as if he was trying to get them going.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA 2024: Ravens vs Chiefs SEP 5 September 5, 2024: Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith 65 after a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. David Smith/CSM/Sipa USA Credit Image: David Smith/Cal Media/Sipa USA Kansas City GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Mo United States of America NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xCalxSportxMediax Editorial use only
Tight ends, man. They’re a different breed. George Kittle gets it, too. During 49ers OTAs, even he felt rookies weren’t always comfortable approaching him. “For some reason, rookies are intimidated to ask me questions sometimes, and I feel like I’m a pretty approachable person,” Kittle said. One rookie even asked him what the heaviest weight he’d ever hit was. Kittle laughed it off. But yeah, welcome to the tight end life. Just try keeping up.
Coming back to KC’s #87, Trey also spoke about the relationship he shares with Trav and how the TE was to him when he came on the team for the first time. “The one thing I can speak about—especially as like a sixth-round draft pick, young guy—was just how kind you were, bro. And you don’t have to be that way. And how you really care for people, and you’re not afraid to give out your heart, right?” he said. Acknowledging that many senior players might not be as kind and caring as Travis. He cares for everyone, even though he doesn’t need to.
“And to me, that speaks volumes about a person. And that to me—that was really the biggest thing. Like, man, you never mistreated me or just sort of wrote me off or anything. It was always just like that for years, man,” Trey said. While also adding that he was always grateful for the support that the Chiefs‘ tight end gave him, not just as a player but also as a person. To which Trav replied, “I appreciate it, dog. Means the most coming from you, brother.”
While Travis Kelce and Trey Smith might be all bonhomie with each other, there’s a little bit of rivalry underneath. And it goes all the way to the time they played college football. While the two never faced each other because they played at different times, their rivalry was because of the teams they represented.
Travis Kelce talks about old college rivalry
Travis Kelce has a distant rivalry with Trey Smith. To be fair, it’s not really with Trey but rather the team he represented in college football, the Tennessee Vols. During college, Travis played for the University of Cincinnati and was a part of the Bearcats from 2008 to 2012. Except for 2010, when he was suspended for drug use. His rivalry with the Vols started as a result of the match he played against them.
In 2011, Travis had travelled with the Bearcats to Knoxville for a match against the Vols. And as it turned out, it was a humiliating defeat for the Bearcats and Travis. He recollected this match while talking to Trey who played for the Vols from 2017 to 2020. “We got smoked when I was in college playing Tennessee. Tyler Bray and Cordarrelle Patterson — they got after us a little bit,” Travis said about the match. He also pointed out that it was after 2012 season that the Bearcats HC Butch Jones, too, left for the Vols.
Travis Kelce isn’t one to admit defeat often, but Knoxville? That’s a different story. “The entire city is orange—like everything in sight is orange,” he said, reflecting on his visit to Tennessee for Eric Berry’s camp. You could tell he wasn’t just talking about colors. It was about the vibe, the energy, the way football consumed the place.
“I got some family around the Knoxville area, too,” Kelce added, sounding almost nostalgic. For a guy who thrives on intensity, seeing an entire town breathe football left an impression. In his own way, Travis tipped his cap to Tennessee. Because sometimes, even the fiercest competitors just have to respect the passion.
The post ‘He’s Awful’: Travis Kelce’s True Character Revealed by Chiefs’ Trey Smith as Star TE Admits Defeat appeared first on EssentiallySports.
