Jason Kelce Spills the Story Behind His Iconic Eagles Super Bowl Speech, Addresses Whether He Was Drunk

Jason Kelce's iconic Mummer moment could have gone very differently. The now-retired Philadelphia Eagles center is opening up about how his rousing Super Bowl LII victory parade speech came to be on Wednesday's episode of his New Heights podcast.

Speaking with Philadelphia native and lifelong Eagles fan Lil Dicky (a.k.a. Dave Burd), Jason addressed the moment he stole the show in a full Mummer costume after his team won the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2018.

"Honestly, the joy that I got watching that speech," Burd gushed, "it was so much joy."

The Dave star marveled at "the length of the joy," with Jason's brother and podcast co-host, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, teasing that "there's no way he remembered half that speech."

"I still don't know how I remembered everything, to be honest with you, especially drinking all the way through," Jason admitted.

"Were you very drunk?" Burd asked.

Jason pondered the question, saying, "I feel like I was possessed at some point that day."

Travis chimed in, "You can see it in his eyes. When you're around him enough, you can see it in his eyes, like, 'That guy's gone.'"

Jason also poked fun at his own slip of the tongue, laughing over saying "fourth and down" instead of the correct football term "fourth down" during his speech.

At the time, the 36-year-old noted, his turn in the spotlight was not a given. He had hoped to be able to speak during the celebration, approaching his team's public relationships department a few days ahead of time to ask for permission.

"I'm like, 'Hey, are we gonna get a chance to talk?' And I wasn't at that time one of the focal guys on the team," he recalled.

Burd echoed the sentiment, noting that "it was surprising" as a fan to see Jason behind the mic.

"I don't know that I would have gotten that if I wouldn't have went up and asked," Jason said.

Center Jason Kelce speaks at a ceremony honoring the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win on February 8, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jason Kelce speaks at a ceremony honoring the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win on Feb. 8, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

"I would be awake until 3, 4 a.m., not sleeping, going in my head, like, different narratives," he recalled. "First of all, myself getting to the Super Bowl and winning it, and how crazy that was. And then how many things you overcome, and then you start thinking about everything your teammates did."

After a few sleepless nights, Jason said he began to draw parallels between the team and the city of Philadelphia.

"How they had been so close multiple times to winning the Super bowl and had to overcome so much to get there," he said. "I think that's why I remembered it, because it was so vividly entrenched of my own story combined with my teammates' combined with the city."

Burd hailed the moment as "perfect" and admitted that it may have been the first time -- but definitely not the last -- that Jason brought him to tears.

"I don't know that any man has made me cry in the last five years more than you," he joked. "That speech, your documentary, your retirement speech. Off the top of my head! There's probably more that I'm not thinking of."

The rapper added that he also cried "instantly" when Jason and Travis both became emotional on their podcast.

"I can't help it," Travis said of his own tendency to break down in tears.

"Have you seen more men cry publicly than us two?" Jason added with a big laugh.

"We're the only f**king guys out here crying," Travis added.

Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after announcing his retirement from the NFL at NovaCare Complex on March 04, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jason Kelce becomes emotional while announcing his retirement from the NFL.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce wipes away tears during Jason Kelce's retirement announcement.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Jason -- a Super Bowl champion, six-time All Pro honoree, seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and future Hall of Famer -- openly wept as he announced his retirement from the NFL in a press conference last month. Travis was also seen wiping tears from his eyes during the speech, and broke down in sobs on their New Heights podcast the next day.

The brothers' emotional displays have been praised by fans on social media, with one viral post on X (formerly known as Twitter) declaring, "Whatever Ed [Kelce] and Donna [Kelce] did to help their sons become emotionally available needs to be studied."

Jason and Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce

Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Elsewhere in the episode, Burd referenced the NFL stars' rapid rise in profile over the last year amid Travis' high profile relationship with Taylor Swift.

After Jason acknowledged that their audience includes a number of Swifties, Burd asked how they were handling their newfound fame.

While Jason said that his life "has not changed that much," Travis gushed that he's having the time of his life.

"I'm having a blast in life, baby," he said. "Just flying high. Enjoying it all. Bringing new lives to the football world. Opening the football world up to new things, as well."

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