The meaningful reason Travis Kelce wears a No. 87 jersey

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is on his way to his fourth Super Bowl with the team after a season punctuated by success. Kelce started dating Taylor Swift, and sales of his No. 87 jersey soared roughly 400% after she attended a game. The number on that wildly popular jersey was chosen by Kelce for a meaningful reason.

In 2023, when both Kelce and his older brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, made it to the Super Bowl, they sat down with NFL Films for an interview and talked about playing in the big game against each other.

"If there is a Kelce legacy – two brothers making it to the NFL – it started in 1987, because this big guy was born in 1987," Travis said about Jason, who quipped that he can't wear '89, Travis' birth year. Jason wears No. 62.

Travis explained in another interview that year just how pivotal his older brother was for his football career. Both brothers played football at University of Cincinnati, but Travis was suspended from the team for violating team rules. 

"I got my scholarship taken, too. I was actually staying with my brother," the younger Kelce said, according to CBS Sports. "I was in his room, his house. Kind of like two brothers growing up living in the same room. In terms of rent, I wasn't paying it. In terms of food, he was helping me with that."

Travis called Jason, who helped get him back on the team, his "lifeline." He said his older brother talked to numerous coaches to convince them to give him a second chance.

"He's matured," Jason said. "He came in young and very rambunctious, but we all change over the course of a career. Life changes as we get older, with values and energy level. He's gotten older. He's gotten more mature."

"I'm forever in debt to this guy for putting his name, our name – the Kelce name – on the line. When I say I owe it all to him, I really do," Travis said.

Jason's team didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year but that has allowed him to cheer on his younger brother – and tailgate with fans. The 36-year-old drew attention while partying shirtless during the Chiefs-Bills game earlier this month alongside Taylor Swift who often draws eyes to the stadium boxes as she cheers on Travis Kelce during games.

The Chiefs went on to win that game and advanced to Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers. The game will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 11 and will be broadcast live  on CBS and Nickelodeon and streaming on Paramount+. 

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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