Emotional podcast moment! Donna Kelce shares her heartfelt reaction after learning Travis Kelce returned safely

of finding, you know, different teams and things like that. But, we always wanted you to just have a great time, have fun, keep busy. When you’re moving, you’re not getting in it any trouble. Whatever sport you like, if you like, you know, contact sports, then do that. If you like sports that are, you know, playing badminton or whatever, do that.

 It’s like you have to love what you’re doing. Otherwise, you’re not going to want to play. >> Mommy, growing up, what was your what was the favorite what was the one sport you loved watching us play the most, though? Like, what was the most exciting one? >> Well, obviously >> as a parent watching. >> Yeah.

 Obviously, the most exciting was team sports, you know, where um uh hockey was a blast because it was constantly moving. So, you you could watch thing there was no stopping. It was, you know, jumping off over the uh what do you call it? The boards. You’re just we’re going all the time. So, you were out there a lot. >> You always had to keep an eye on us, too, in case we were going to throw our puck our our cups at you.

>> Yeah. >> Very true. >> But, it it was just you know, I I loved doing that because I paid attention to you and I got to watch you grow and blossom in hockey. But, I also liked uh baseball. Because in baseball, you would be up to bat maybe once, maybe twice. And you would catch the ball maybe once or twice.

 Unless you were the pitcher or the catcher, which Jason was. So, he was constantly out there cuz he was catching and throwing pitching. >> They only put me on the mound when we hated the other team and they wanted to see me just strike fear in the kids. >> Yeah. [laughter] And and throw the ball like this close to their nose. Yeah.

But, uh I enjoyed the parents at those sports. Baseball, the parents were just awesome. >> Mom Mom was Mom was always in the right field. Yeah, was always in the right field in the baseball games having having a comedy hour with all the the other mothers on the team. >> We were always telling jokes and laughing. It was great.

 And then they’re like, “Wait a minute, my son’s up to bat.” >> Yeah. [laughter] Mom, what do What do you think is the key to getting kids to enjoy sports? What did you used to do to try and get us to have fun or get us into new activities? >> You were the ones that drove it. It wasn’t us. You drove it. You said what you liked, what you wanted to do.

 If you wanted to be in a play, you were in a play. If you wanted to do swim cadets, you did swim cadets. If you You know, it’s like we just went along for the ride. You guys drove everything. And that’s the way it should be. Parents should stay out of it. They shouldn’t push their kids into things they don’t want to do.

 They’re going to have a wonderful childhood if they love what they do, they’re going to get good at it. So, that’s as simple as that. >> You guys did a great job of introducing sports. Like, I remember Jason started playing football in in middle school, and I was I was always two steps behind. So, I was in fifth grade while he was in seventh grade.

 And he was starting to play football, and I was like, “Man, I want to play football.” I remember Dad took me down to Heights Tigers tryouts, and I saw how many kids were trying out for the football team at that age, and I was just overwhelmed with like not knowing anybody and understanding like as a kid you you kind of want to play sports with your friends or people that you know, and things like that.

 And you guys always found teams where we were we knew the kids on the team. >> Well, definitely we would check out, you know, who the coaches were, what the parents, you know, what parents were there, who was involved, you know, if there were a bunch of parents that were involved or there were a bunch of parents that weren’t involved.

 You know, it’s really important because as children grow up, they’re not going to tell you anything. They’re going to tell their friends stuff, and they’re going to they’re going to get to um their friends’ parents and talk to them. So, I think you just want to surround your children with a huge group of individuals that are of like minds.

So. >> Yeah. I remember uh I was play I was in middle school and I was playing for a for a new baseball team called CBA, Cleveland Baseball Academy. >> Yeah. >> And the academy was very they were very like respectable in the baseball community in Cleveland. And um I thought that my talent was there, but it also said that I had to maintain a GPA of 3.

0 uh to stay on the team. And I looked at my dad after the trials. I was like, “Dad, I think I can play on this team, but I don’t know if I can I don’t know if I can keep up this whole 3.0 GPA.” >> Yeah. >> And um >> [laughter] >> And yeah, so I ended up uh just cheating the system because when you’re good at sports, they want you on the team.

>> Mom, what about >> There’s if if there’s a kid you had Let’s say we had a third brother. >> [laughter] >> story was >> Sick If we had a third brother? Oh my. >> You have a third brother. Third brother named Dale. And Dale didn’t like sports. And he didn’t want to do anything but sit in the house all day.

 Would you just let Dale sit in the house all day and not play sports or do anything extracurricular? >> You know, I I would try to find something that they like to do. You know, anything to get them out of the house. Uh you know, whether it was Maybe they wanted to be a long-distance runner. Maybe they were just like >> This kid wants to do nothing.

 He’s got no motivation, no friends. Hypothetical. >> Oh, wow. That’s a rough one. Cuz he has to take a >> [laughter] >> You have to take a look at personalities, too. I mean, you can’t force somebody to do something. You have to find something they’re going to like. >> Why not? >> They got to >> You’re parents. Of course you can.

You’re You’re a mom. You can force them to do whatever you want. >> All you can do is is give them opportunity to find things that they like to do. So keep trying. >> to water. >> Keep trying. >> lead them. They’re They’re not just at the house doing anything, Jason. They’re into something. >> You have You You just It’s important, you know, for social >> it’s video games, take them down to the arcade.

 See what See if they got what it takes to >> socially because that’s how everything is run in this world is on teams. You You You know, it’s like >> Right now. >> Yeah. Yeah, true. >> Wait wait till AI takes over. >> Yeah, I know. We’re even going to have surgeries. I think you can find, you know, what your kid likes to do.

 I think parents know what they like. You just have to direct them in that way. Try to get them help. Let’s say they’re musician. Get them some music lessons, you know, just >> Ooh. >> You know, try to find out what they’re what they really really like. >> Passion is? >> Yeah. I mean, that’s the thing. It’s feed Feed that Feed that passion.

>> Ha-ha. [laughter] Can we get to Let’s get to Let’s get to the next question here. >> Yeah, let’s get to another question here. >> I feel like this would be a better question for Donna Kelsey. But as the mom of two boys, age four and one, what are some ways that I can cultivate their relationship so they grow up be close brothers like Jason and Travis? >> Man.

>> [sighs and snorts] >> What do you got for >> Two years apart is different than three years apart. >> It is. It is. Yeah, that’s a rough one. I don’t think you cultivate anything. I think the dynamic of the family is the dynamic of the family. You know, >> Yeah. >> I didn’t try to force anything. I didn’t try to steer it in any way.

 I think kids [snorts] are born with certain characteristics. I think some parents take too much um you know, credit for their children’s um success and for their failures. >> Well, I don’t. >> I do. >> [laughter] >> I do. It’s all on you. If you got a kid, it’s on the parents. You got two Hall of Fame NFL playing kids, it’s all on the parents.

>> No. >> You got to have it both ways, Mom. >> You know what, Mom? I think it’s on the older sibling. I think eventually you got to you got to let the you got to let the older sibling know. I think that’s what you and Dad did a great job of. Is that you forced Jason to be my friend. And by doing this, Jason [snorts] would then just torture me.

 He would find fun ways to say we’re playing together, but in reality, like playing together with Jason was, “Hey Travis, you want to go be the goalie outside so I could just rip slap shots at you in the driveway.” Like, “Yeah, >> [laughter] >> of course I want to play with you.” >> Oh, man, our garage door was like pockmarked.

>> Family activities always wins. >> I truly believe that children, no matter who the parent is, if they want something bad enough, it’s going to happen. You they just have to have a drive. Some kids are born with that are driven. Some kids aren’t. You know, all we gave you was opportunity. You guys ran with it.

 We followed what you wanted, what you thought was good. Unless it was against the law, we you know, we let you do pretty much, you know, whatever you thought would be fun. >> You guys helped motivate it as well by having good family values. >> disagree heavily with my mother is saying right now. I think that uh if you want two brothers to love each other, >> Yeah.

>> as parents, you need to go above and beyond to make sure that both kids feel like they’re getting loved and attention in the same amounts, >> Yes. Yes. >> the brothers when they celebrate each other. I think that like for me, I think a lot of the siblings that I know that aren’t close or the ones that feel like they have like fractured relationships.

A lot of those feel like there’s like a competitiveness to their relationship with their siblings that quite frankly Travis and I just have never felt. >> Yeah. >> think you and dad both did a great job >> Yeah. >> our entire lives of like taking me to Travis’s games to watch him play, having Trav come to my games or watch me play.

Like there was a concerted effort by both of you to not only celebrate both of us, but to have each of us celebrate our brother, right? And I think that that’s I think that’s the answer personally. And you have to >> Okay. >> That’s a good point. >> It’s going to be competitive naturally. You want to be competitive.

 Then you have to have dad tell the older one that or mom tell the older one to lose sometimes to make the younger one feel better. Sometimes it’s got to happen. Just [laughter] going to have to bite your tongue, you know? >> This guy. >> No, that never happened. >> Can’t fool me. I just learned how to flank. Can’t fool me.

>> He got better because you wouldn’t let him win. So. >> [laughter] >> That’s what I tell myself. Travis is so much better than me because I beat the  out of him all the time growing up. [laughter] All right. >> But then you also reveled in each other’s wins. I mean, you were happy when Travis won, you know, you were there rooting them on.

>> Yeah, you know, it is it was went both ways, you know? So. >> For every one I lost too, it was crazy. No, I mean, well, sometimes. Sometimes when I when I knew you needed it. All right, here we go, Brandon. What’s the >> [laughter] >> How was golf? >> And you have to have a good sense of humor, too. >> What’s the next one? What have we got? >> Hi Jason. Hi Travis. My name is Eileen.

I am from Orlando, Florida and >> Hey-o. >> I’m looking for advice. Now, Jason, I know you have really small children, but >> Hey, what are you trying to say? >> and they will be teenagers. So, I’ve got a 17-year-old son who’s a senior in high school. He’s trying to make a college decision and he currently wants to change all of his plans to follow his girlfriend to where she’s going to college.

>> Ooh. >> Should I let him? Give me your best advice on that. >> Oh, man, that happens a lot. >> if I should let him make a life-changing decision to follow her. But should I also follow or stop young love? Let me know what to think. >> I don’t know. Should we let mom take this one first or do we take a stab at it first? >> I wouldn’t even know where to go with that.

>> It’s hard. >> I know several of my friends allowed their kid to go where their boyfriend was going, vice versa. But >> work out? >> Never. >> No. >> Not once. >> No, not once. >> sometimes except well, one of my friends got married right out of high school and they’re still married. So, you never know. >> There you go. Happens sometimes.

>> Sometimes it’s your you know, the person it’s your person. >> to college though or did they stay? >> No, they never did. >> Yeah, see. See, that’s that’s a that’s a sheltered individual getting married out of college school and just staying that way. >> [laughter] >> What? That’s not how it works, Jason. >> Kidding. Kidding.

>> Not everybody has to go to college. Yeah. >> College is a decision you have to make for yourself. It is a selfish decision that that you have to make for the future of whatever career or um or lane that you want to take in life and um I know that that’s I mean, it’s got to be tough to to have, you know, a loved one that might be doing something completely different.

>> Yeah, clearly mom does not like this girl. >> Why isn’t she going to college? >> Why isn’t she wanting to go to where you’re going to college? Like is it is there a trade-off here? You know, there I don’t know. That thing nobody should go to a school to follow somebody else other than how I went to Cincinnati to go there because of Jason.

>> Oh, yeah. >> I don’t think anybody should go to college to follow somebody else. I think they should go there for the values that they see are going to be best fitting for them. >> I think you’re dealing I I agree a thousand percent with Travis and I think that that’s what you have to say to the to your son as well.

 If you say like I’m not letting you go to school, it’s not going to work out. Is it like you know what I’m saying? Something. >> But here’s the thing. >> at the end of the day they they they Go ahead. >> Go ahead. >> You got them, Mom. I’m not going to interrupt you. You can interrupt me. >> I I think that if you’re going to do the same thing and go to a college and you’re never going to have any growth.

Okay? You’re never going to be able to be on your own and try to figure things out on your own. You’re always going to have somebody there beside you to help you through all those decisions. But when you go to college, you’re you’re totally usually totally on your own. And you do not have anyone there. You just kind of fail and then you win.

 You know what I mean? Sometimes, you know, you have little setbacks. There’s adversity. You have to work through it. That’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea for being at home when you’re going to college or being close. I think people should go as far away as they possibly can, you know? So, that’s my viewpoint.

 I think that you grow more when you’re away from people that are with you all the time. >> I don’t disagree with that, but I think you can’t get into the idea that you’re going to force your kid to not go to college somewhere. I just think it’s not going to work. You got to You got to approach it from a >> you get Rummy and Juliet. >> Exactly. That’s right.

 That’s right. You got to do what Trav said, which is basically just explain to them like, “Listen, you go to college to learn and get a degree. You don’t go to college so you can be with other people.” Like that’s not why you go to college. If you want to do that, just don’t go to college and go live wherever that person’s like That’s not the reason you choose to go to a college.

>> No. >> If and I would say this to the person, if it’s meant to be with you and this person, college will not be the thing that separates you two. If If you go into a different school ends up breaking your relationship, that wasn’t going to last anyway, brother. Like it was going to be over sooner or later.

>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So. >> It’s It’s a hard one though. >> Mom, did you not like any of our Travis or I’s girlfriends? Or my girlfriend, now wife? >> Jason, you really didn’t bring a lot of uh ladies home. >> Yeah, no, we got it, Mom. Okay. >> [laughter] >> You dated, but I didn’t know any of them. So, it’s the same thing.

 With Trav, I you know, [laughter] I met one or two. But I didn’t know anybody that you guys were dating. I I knew nothing of anybody that you guys were dating in college. You told me zero. >> [laughter] >> Zero, yeah. What did you think of Okay, here we go. Let’s just move on to this. >> You were too busy.

 Did you have any time at all to date? I don’t know. >> Who, me? >> Yeah. >> I had plenty of time. I had absolutely zero game, and I looked like an overweight Oompa Loompa. That’s why I didn’t have any girlfriends. >> [laughter] >> You were overweight? >> Well, I guess in high school I wasn’t. >> No. >> No. >> I just sucked at talking to women for whatever reason.

>> Well, you changed, so that’s good. >> I don’t know if I did. >> [laughter] >> You’ve always been the coolest kid. >> Donna clearly remembered the moment she received the call from the team’s representative. The man’s voice on the other end tried to sound calm, but she could still hear the tension. “Travis is safe, Donna.

The plane has landed. He’ll be home soon.” She hung up, slumped onto the sofa in her familiar Kansas City home, and cried. Not loudly. Just silent tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking into her thin sweater collar. Jason, her eldest son, called shortly afterward from Philadelphia. “Are you okay, Mom?” “Travis will be home.

” “He’s strong.” Donna tried to smile over the phone, but her voice trembled. Now, at the airport, she stood more upright. Around her were other family members, some team security personnel, and a few reporters standing at a distance, respecting their social standing. Donna didn’t want anyone to disturb this moment.

She just wanted to see her son’s face. Suddenly, the doors from the restricted area opened. A group of people emerged. Donna immediately recognized Travis’s tall, broad-shouldered figure, even though he was wearing a simple hat and hoodie. Her heart pounded. Travis looked around, then his eyes met his mother’s.

A familiar smile appeared on his face, but in his eyes there was a deep weariness and relief.