Jason Kelce Tearfully Recalls Night He Met Wife Kylie During Retirement Speech: ‘I Knew Right Away’
Jason Kelce emotionally recalled the night he met his wife, Kylie Kelce, while announcing his retirement after 13 years in the NFL.
“I won’t forget the Eagles’ Christmas party in 2014 and heading out afterwards with a bunch of my teammates to Buffalo Billiards where my life would change forever,” Jason, 36, said during his press conference on Monday, March 4. “That night, I’d meet my future wife. I still remember the moment she walked through the door.”
The professional athlete then recalled the first moment he saw Kylie, 31, when she walked into the bar, stating that the sight was “burned in my retina.”
“It was like she glided through the opening, an aura around her. Then she started talking and I thought, ‘Man, is this what love feels like?’” Jason continued. “She was beautiful and smart, serious yet playful. I knew it right away.”
He went on to state that Kylie played a major role during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. “I think it’s no coincidence that I have enjoyed my best years of my career with Kylie by my side,” Jason added. “Every accolade I have ever received has come with her in my life.”
“She has brought the best out of me through love, devotion, support, honesty, intelligence, and of course, a swift kick in the a-- from time to time,” he said.
Jason went on to praise his wife for giving him “three beautiful girls and a life that increasingly brings me more fulfillment off the field than it does on.” The couple – who tied the knot in 2018 – share daughters Wyatt Elizabeth, 4, Elliotte Ray 3, and Bennett Llewellyn, 12 months.
Not only did Kylie attend Jason’s press conference, but his brother, Travis Kelce, and parents, Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce, were in the crowd to support him as he officially ended his football career.
Kylie and Jason previously opened up about the beginning of their love story in the 2023 documentary Kelce. “Jason won’t let me lie about this,” she explained in the documentary. “We met on Tinder.”
The mother of three admitted that she thought Jason looked familiar when they matched, though she wasn’t positive that he was actually the professional athlete. “None of his pictures showed Eagles football,” Kylie recalled, though noted she confirmed who he was by doing a Google search.
The pair hit it off online and Jason invited her to meet him and his friends at a local bar. “Right away when she walks in the door, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said, adding that it was “very much like love at first sight.”
While Jason said he was instantly smitten, the couple revealed the date didn’t go according to plan and he fell asleep at the bar. Jason acknowledged that he didn’t make the “best first impression,” though Kylie agreed to give him another chance. She assured viewers that the Ohio native “did much better” on their second date.
