The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in yet another Super Bowl.
The two-time defending world champions will represent the AFC in February’s big game for the fifth time in the last six years.
Kansas City currently have three Lombardis to show for it, and are now bidding for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9.
The Louisiana city is well-known as a party town, with many bars, clubs, restaurants and late-night hangouts dotted around the area.
The French Quarter, in particular, is a popular party area among tourists and locals, with Bourbon and Frenchmen Streets being the main nightlife hubs.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce knows the NOLA nightlight scene better than most, having once got kicked out of college after partying too hard there.
Back when Travis was at the University of Cincinnati, he was still an aspiring quarterback yet to discover his full potential as a tight end.
He was also still a bit of a party boy, and ran into some trouble when the Bearcats played in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans in 2010.
After taking on Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators, Kelce partied too hard in the ‘Big Easy’, and ultimately failed a drugs test for marijuana, landing on the school’s suspended list.
As a result, the former two-star recruit coming out of high school ended up losing his scholarship and was essentially kicked out.
“I got kicked out of college because of (that incident),” Kelce said during an appearance on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast in July 2023.
“I partied a little too much down there, got hit with a drug test and from that point on, I realized I’ve got to tighten the f*** up.”
Luckily, older brother Jason was in his senior year at the time and begged all of his coaches to give his little brother another chance.
Jason also set out a list of things that Travis had to accomplish in order to get back to playing football.
Travis eventually re-joined the team as a walk-on, switching from QB to TE as three signal callers were ahead of him on the depth chart.
However, it’s no exaggeration to say that without Jason’s intervention, Travis may never have ended up in the NFL.
“I’m forever thankful for that conversation,” Travis told Shannon Sharpe on his ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast.
“It took a lot of guts for him to be able to go in there and put his name on the line for myself knowing that I threw this scholarship away and down the drain like it didn’t mean anything to me.”
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“It was a moment where I had to grow up and become a man”, Kelce added.
“I’m just thankful for everybody at the University of Cincinnati that guided me in the right direction and my brother who was at the forefront.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Travis finished his 35-game career with the Bearcats with 59 receptions for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns, and was named First-team All-Big East in 2012.
He was eventually drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round (63rd pick overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Over the next decade plus, he’s become a three-time Super Bowl winner, ten-time Pro Bowler, and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
Nevertheless, those closest to Kelce haven’t forgotten his checkered history with New Orleans.
Following Kansas City’s 32-29 win over Buffalo in the AFC Championship game last weekend, Kelce was overheard saying, “I owe New Orleans a little something” to mom Donna and girlfriend Taylor Swift.
“We know your history,” Donna told her son on the field of Arrowhead Stadium.
Swift jokingly added: “You’re not going to Bourbon Street.”
Unfortunately for Tay Tay, it will be pretty difficult for Travis to avoid Bourbon Street during Super Bowl week.
The Chiefs will be staying at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street for Super Bowl LIX, which is located in the French Quarter, close to the infamous strip of bars and clubs.
Despite the potential for distraction, Kelce has grown into a consummate pro in the 20 years since his NOLA mishap, and will no doubt be locked into creating NFL history throughout next week.
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