NFL star and former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro Jason Kelce has issued a sincere apology following an incident that took place this past weekend at ESPN’s “College GameDay” in Pennsylvania. The beloved center, known for his passion and sportsmanship, found himself in an uncomfortable situation with an unruly fan who directed a homophobic slur toward the crowd during the pre-game show for the Ohio State vs. Penn State matchup. The interaction, which unfolded during the broadcast, has since drawn widespread attention, with Kelce addressing the matter to clarify his stance and express regret.
The incident happened on November 2 outside Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium. Videos shared on social media platform X captured Jason reacting by turning around,
“Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.” ― Mike Tyson#Kelce #JasonKelce #MikeTyson pic.twitter.com/6Ik4UeEAwe
— Jimmy D 🟦 (@Uncle_JimmyD) November 3, 2024
The Jason Kelce Incident: A Moment That Escalated Quickly
Jason Kelce was at Penn State’s campus on Saturday, hyping up the crowd and bringing his signature energy to ESPN’s “College GameDay” show. The event, intended as a celebration of college football, took an unexpected turn when a fan in the audience directed an offensive homophobic slur toward the crowd. Though the incident was brief, it didn’t go unnoticed, drawing concern from onlookers and later, from fans online.
Jason Kelce’s reaction was immediate—he attempted to neutralize the situation by addressing the fan.
The former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro was in Pennsylvania on Saturday when he appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” before the Ohio State vs. Penn State matchup. Social media footage showed Kelce walking through a crowd near Beaver Stadium while several people asked for selfies and acknowledged him. However, one person in a Penn State hoodie hurled anti-homophobe slurs toward Kelce about his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“Hey Kelce! How does it feel your brother is a (expletive) for dating Taylor Swift?” the person shouted.
Hereafter, Kelce grabbed the fan’s phone and threw it to the ground, then turned to confront the man dressed in Penn State attire. Kelce appeared to use the same anti-gay slur during the exchange, before another fan stepped between them before the altercation could escalate.
During the discussion on ESPN broadcast Kelce said,
“I think everybody has seen on social media what happened this week,” He further said “Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it. In a heated moment I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t. I don’t think it leads to discourse and it’s the right way to go about things. In that moment I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have.
Jason Kelce opens "Monday Night Countdown" with an apology.
"I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don't think that's a productive thing." pic.twitter.com/9rScqAKpVD
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2024
“The bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rule. That’s what I’ve always been taught,” he said. “I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I’m going to keep doing that moving forward.”
Earlier too in an another incident, sometime back in May, Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie Kelce, were approached by a woman in a New Jersey parking lot who demanded a photo. When the couple declined, the woman became hostile, telling them they “will never be allowed in this town again.” Kylie can be heard in the video responding, “I can smell the alcohol on your breath. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
