Donna Kelce will make sports history—as the first mom to have two sons play each other in the Super Bowl. Her older son, 35-year-old Jason Kelce, plays center for the Philadelphia Eagles. Her younger, 33-year-old Travis Kelce, is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Both are well represented in her custom split Eagles-Chiefs jersey.
Ever since the news broke that Jason and Travis would be facing off in the big game, Donna’s become a celebrity in her own right. So GQ checked in with the mom of the hour over Zoom, while she was wearing a new custom-made jean jacket—half-Eagles and half-Chiefs, of course.
GQ: Donna, how are you feeling with all this newfound attention?
Donna Kelce: It’s great! I mean, how could it get any better as a mom? So I’m doing awesome. Everything is just very surreal.
Can you take me back to the moment when you realized you were going to be the first mom to have two sons playing against each other in the Super Bowl?
I didn’t even think about that. I was mostly thinking, would my sons play each other? There are several brothers in the NFL. A couple have been in the Super Bowl who have been coaches against each other. And there have been brothers who have played together on the same team. But there have never been two brothers who have played against each other. I didn’t think it was going to happen, to tell you the truth, until the Chiefs kicked the field goal. So it was touch and go there.
I want to know more about your famous custom jersey, but I also love this jacket you’re wearing right now.
The jersey I don’t have on right now—it’s packed and ready to go for the game. But this is a jacket that Passion For Ezra put together. The Eagles on one sleeve and the Chiefs on the other. And then on the back—I don’t know if you can see—the names and then the two logos for the Chiefs and the Eagles. So this is really fun, this jean jacket. I really love it.
How about the jersey, was it designed by the same person?
There was an individual in Cleveland who sewed the shirt. So there’s a shoulder that’s the Eagles, a Chiefs shoulder, the front is the Chiefs and the Eagles on the back. They don’t have the same numbers, so it’s easier to just do that.
Was it your idea?
You know, it wasn’t me. It was my younger son Travis. He wanted to get one, so I could represent both. He knew there was no way I was going to wear just one jersey.
The Eagles were playing in Kansas City. The first game that the Chiefs and the Eagles played, Travis was a rookie. He had microfracture surgery, so he was in the stands for that game but he didn’t play. Then, four years later, the Chiefs played the Eagles and it was in Arrowhead. And then there was another four years—they don’t play each other very often. But that was the one where I got my actual jersey, at the first game when they were actually on the field. It was awesome.
So what are your plans for the day of the Super Bowl?
I think we’re going to go to a pregame party and then we’re going to go in and watch them practice on the field and get ready. There’s a lot of entertainment going on at the stadium that day. And then go to our seats and watch the game and hopefully be on the field for one of them at the end, so it’ll be fun.
Have you seen this Change.org petition to get you to do the coin toss?
Yeah, I did see that. And even though it sounds enticing, I can tell you this: I’m honored that that happened but there’s someone that really deserves it more than I do. Pat Tillman was an Arizona Cardinal and he stopped playing in the NFL to enlist after 9/11. He lost his life, so they’ll be doing a tribute for him and I’m pretty sure his family will be on the field. And somebody that put their blood, sweat, and tears for America is much more important than feeding their kids Cheerios on a Saturday morning.
Do you have a family group chat?
Do I have a family group chat?
Yeah, a text group with both sons?
Just with each one of them.
Ah, so not all together. I was wondering if they were trash talking each other on there.
You never know.
Were they competitive growing up?
Very much so. There won’t be too much trash-talking. Both kids, they’re very respectful of each other’s teams. I think Travis has a lot of respect for the Eagles and mostly because his brother’s on it and he knows a lot of the players, and vice versa. They both played for [Chiefs coach] Andy [Reid], they think the world of him. And so, not a lot of trash-talking. There will be trash-talking from other players, but I don’t think ours will be doing much.
Do each of them think the other is your favorite?
Yeah, they say that all the time. And I keep trying to tell them it’s 50-50. I don’t care who wins. I just want everybody to be healthy and I’ll be rooting for both of them. I’ll be standing up the entire game because I’ll be screaming for whoever has the ball.
Regardless of who wins, do you guys have plans for afterwards?
I’ve never been to a parade, and I think I might like to go to one this year. So that would be kind of fun.
