Jason Kelce isn’t feeling the pressure to get ready for training camp for the first time since 2011. As evidenced by his participation in his first-ever American Century Championship, he is clearly enjoying life after retirement. He may appreciate the beautiful scenery of Lake Tahoe and utilize his competitive drive in this laid-back style.
He did, however, confess to Alex Stephenson and Alex Margulies of Nevada Sports Net that if he hadn’t been an offensive lineman, he would have been a running back during a break from the friendly rivalry. Because Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis was his childhood idol, the former Philadelphia Eagles center longed to play out of the backfield.
Because Kelce looked up to “The Bus,” he switched allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers once the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore.
Jason Kelce speaks about his Running Back dreams
As a high school running back, Jason ran over defenders just like Bettis did. He didn’t get many touches since he blocked more often than he ran, but his yards per carry would have dwarfed the NFL record held by all-time leader Jamaal Charles (5.4).
“I still ran the ball in high school. I was a wing-back, and most of the time, I was lead-blocking, but every once in a while, I got a jet sweep on the other side. Well, I averaged 9.8 yards a carry, believe it or not.”
If Kelce continued to play at that level as a running back, it would nearly guarantee a first down on every carry, something that NFL teams would beg for. It exceeds even Michael Vick’s average of seven yards per carry over his 13 NFL seasons.
But that wasn’t how Jason’s career started off. At first, he had trouble leaving his stamp on the offensive line for the Eagles. However, after a few years, he was selected for the Pro Bowl for the first time, and for the course of his 13-year career, he was named to the First Team All-Pro six times. With this induction, he is now guaranteed to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in 2029.
