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By Jordan Sigler
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Jason Kelce initially joined Cincinnati as a walk-on linebacker before finding his home as a three-year starter on the offensive line.
As a linebacker, Kelce earned Scout Team Defensive MVP in 2006. After switching to the offensive line, he earned All-Big East honors two times before being taken in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Thursday, Cincinnati revealed Kelce was selected for induction into the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction will happen on Oct. 23 and will include men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins, track and field athletes Loretta Blaut and Wayne Mason, Mike Kinnett (baseball), Christy Hoffman (women's soccer), and Connor Barwin (football).
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In an interview with NBC Philadelphia in 2017, Kelce said he arrived at Cincinnati with a weight of approximately 230 pounds. He played linebacker his first season while he adjusted to the strength and conditioning of the college program.
Former Cincinnati head coach Mark Dantonio initially recruited him, but in 2007, new head coach Brian Kelly and his staff thought Kelce would be a better fit on the offensive line because they wanted more athletic offensive linemen to run more zone plays. Kelce requested a scholarship to complete his transition to center, and the team agreed.
"So they tried me out and I actually did really well, and they said they were going to keep me there, but I was still a walk-on," Kelce said. "I wasn't on scholarship. I remember having this conversation with Jeff Quinn, who was the offensive line coach at the time, and I said, ‘I would love to stay here, I want to be here, but I'm not going to put on 60 pounds just because you guys want to keep me at center.'
"I told them if they want that, I need a scholarship, otherwise I'll go somewhere else, and they gave me a scholarship. That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me."
After playing at Cincinnati, Kelce went on to become a decorated center at the NFL level with the Eagles. He earned All-Pro honors six times and was nominated to the Pro Bowl seven times. He won Super Bowl LII with Philadelphia.
The induction from Cincinnati is a taste of what's to come for Kelce in the NFL. He retired after the 2023 season and will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029.
For more on the Eagles and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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