Since retiring after 13 amazing, successful-beyond-reasonable-expectations, beer-soaked NFL seasons, Jason Kelce's fame has only increased. Legend, in this case, is not overblown.
Kelce became a one-person category, the rare center who was renowned and relatable without acting like a celebrity. He sang.
He chugged. He pancake-blocked. And, despite it all, he left one of sports' most interesting legacies.
To that end, having accumulated a vast amount of Kelce reporting over the years, it seemed prudent to look back—at the man; never a myth, always a legend. This is Jason Kelce in his full glory.
Consider the top centers in NFL history. Jim Otto. Chuck Bednarik. Mel Hein or Dwight Stephenson. Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, or Randy Cross.
That club includes a Ringo (Otto of the Green Bay Packers), a four-time Super Bowl champion (Webster), and more than a dozen Hall of Famers.
But how many of the best-ever centers commanded entire locker rooms, surpassing superstars who made more money, promoted more brands, and couldn't drink a beer to save their lives? None. Not in the same way Kelce did.
Kelce was the hub around which all other spokes in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room rotated.