Jason Kelce feels grateful for his family of five as he shares the news of his retirement.
The Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, taking a minute to thank his family of five, including wife Kylie, 31, in his lengthy farewell speech.
Addressing his wife, Jason thanked her for bringing his three daughters into his life – Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 23 months, and Bennett, 12 months.
“She also gave me three beautiful girls and a life that brings me more fulfillment off the field than on it,” he said through tears during a news conference.
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Kelce family.
Kylie Kelce/ Instagram
Kylie Kelce Says She Wants Husband Jason Kelce To Retire While He Can Still ‘Play With Our Kids’
“I am a product of my upbringing. I think one of the best things a person can be in this world is a father. A father who is present, full of love and loyal could just be the greatest gift a child can ask for in our society,” he continued.
In the scene from Kelce — a feature-length Prime Video documentary that follows Jason through the 2022-2023 season. — wife Kylie revealed that the NFL star’s injuries on the field also affect his life at home.
“I don’t think people realize that the beatings you get affect the way you interact with your family,” she said in the confessional.
Jason was playing with young daughters Elliotte and Wyatt when Kylie told her older one, who was throwing herself around while singing the team’s cheer, that she had to give her dad a break, “because dad worked a lot yesterday.”
“He told me for years that he was going to retire, and now we are expecting our third daughter,” she added.
“I always tell people that no matter what happens with football, how it ends, I’d like him to retire when he can still get down on the floor and play comfortably with our kids.”
In February, Kylie and Jason shared photos of their children’s nursery exclusively with PEOPLE, and the proud mom said, “Jason is emotionally and mentally present for his girls and I think that’s really important.”
The NFL player is a very hands-on dad, as seen in another sweet photo of him enjoying a tea party with Elliotte.
“The memories we make now are things we’ll talk about later, the same way our parents tell stories about us now,” said the mom of three. “We hope this space allows the girls to be a good team together.”
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Source: HIS Education