Travis Kelce Says He Thinks About Retirement ‘More Than Anyone Could Ever Imagine’

Retirement is always on Travis Kelce’s mind.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34, was candid about his football career with WSJ. Magazine for the cover of the December/January issue, revealing that he’s thinking about retirement “more than anyone could ever imagine.”

Kelce “likes to talk about the old days,” according to one of his hometown friends, Patrick Bacon, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. But when it comes to his future in the sport – and the pain it’s causing him now – the star athlete keeps his thoughts private.

“That’s the one thing I’ve never been open about… discomfort. Pain. Long-term injuries — the 10 surgeries I’ve had,” he said WSJ. Magazineadding that he still feels “every operation to this day”.

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Both the Chiefs’ longtime tight ends coach, Tom Melvin, and Kelce’s personal trainer and physical therapist, Alex Skacel, elaborated on the injuries the NFL star regularly experiences — and why he pushes through them.

“That’s the one thing I’ve never been open about… discomfort. Pain. Long-term injuries — the 10 surgeries I’ve had,” Kelce told the WSJ. Magazine.

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According to Skacel, there isn’t a day during the football season that the tight end isn’t littered with bruises and scrapes that require treatment far beyond basic therapy.

But Kelce is playing down the pain so he can keep playing, Melvin said. He simply refuses to miss a game.

“He has a phenomenal pain tolerance. He’s been through things that other athletes I’ve coached over the years haven’t been able to push through,” the coach said, adding that Kelce is “mentally tough — way off the charts.”

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Painful or otherwise, Kelce isn’t ready to hang up his jersey just yet. He did once, and not by his own will.

His college career was put on hold when, as a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, he was kicked off the team for smoking marijuana.

“It was like my life was over,” he said WSJ. Magazine moment.

At that time, Kelce — who felt that he had lost not only his scholarship but also the purpose of his life — got a taste of life without football. He landed a job doing telemarketing surveys about the Affordable Care Act, an experience he described to the magazine as “eye-opening.”

More precisely, he taught him that he does not want to return to the field when he finally retires.

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Instead, Kelce thought about staying closer to the game he loves after retiring as a sports broadcaster, he told the news outlet.

His manager also suggested that his hard-hitting physique be used in action movies, but – given the internet’s fascination with his old tweets, his successful guest appearances Saturday night live and his affinity for stand-up — a career in comedy might suit him better.

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After hosting SNL in March — shortly after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory — Kelce told PEOPLE that he wouldn’t rule out a career in Hollywood.

“It was an experience like nothing else I’ve ever been through,” he said of the away game. “I just can’t thank them enough for giving me that opportunity, because I didn’t know I was going to enjoy scripted comedy, or that whole world of entertainment, until I was on set and going through a week of prep and stuff like that.”

“So I’m definitely interested [in pursuing more acting projects],” he added. “But it’s a whole new craft that I feel like I really need to focus on [before I do].”

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Source: HIS Education