Before Travis Kelce became a household name, he was just another kid running around a Cleveland Heights club soccer field, and one of his former coaches is still smiling about it now.
Merzouk Toumert, who moved from Algeria to Cleveland with his family as a youngster and has lived there for the past 45 years, said he coached Kelce for four years on the Eastside Kickers. Toumert was handling a group of energetic kids, including his son Alek, when Kelce was part of the same neighborhood crew.
“He was a great kid, and the parents were fantastic,” Merzouk Toumert said. “They were always there at his games, but you know at that age (8-12 years old), they were all knuckleheads.”
Toumert said Kelce was athletic, easy to coach and active in just about everything the kids did. Alek Toumert said Kelce played soccer, lacrosse, basketball and baseball with him growing up, and he still remembers one practice moment that stuck.
According to Alek Toumert, his father was trying to get the players to stop so he could correct their technique when Kelce kept going and accidentally kicked the ball into Merzouk’s head. The elder Toumert’s reaction, Alek said, was simple.
“My dad turned around, saw who kicked it and he was like ‘I’m not going to do anything. This guy is as big as me,’” Alek Tourmet said.
Merzouk Toumert also recalled another classic youth-sports moment: Kelce showed up without cleats. When Toumert asked how he managed to leave them at home, Kelce’s answer was just “I forgot.”
Toumert had a fix ready. “I said ‘OK, you know Mrs.
Toumert, my wife?” he said.
“She’s sitting in a van. Go ask her to give you her tennis shoes.
You can play in those.”
Kelce did exactly that, came back a few minutes later and kept playing.
The Toumerts were among the 69,045 fans at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, June 28, for the final FIFA World Cup group stage match between Algeria and Austria. They said they’ve kept up with Kelce from afar and are proud of what he’s done and how he represents Cleveland Heights.
With Kelce’s reported wedding ceremony with Taylor Swift set for the Fourth of July weekend, the family said they’re happy for him and looking forward to the celebration.
“We’re really thrilled for them,” Merzouk Toumert said. “Congratulations to the both of them.”
In Other News...
Travis Kelces Reported Honeymoon Plans Create One Huge Chiefs Question
Travis Kelces off-field life is already the sort of thing that can dominate a news cycle, and a new report has only added to the intrigue around what comes next. According to The U.S. Sun, Kelce and Taylor Swift are expected to marry in July 2026 and then head out on a lengthy honeymoon that would take them from the Caribbean to Europe, Asia, Australia and Hawaii, with stops reportedly including the Bahamas, Italy, Paris, the French Riviera, Croatia, Greece, Singapore, Fiji and Hawaii.
For the Chiefs, the obvious question is less about the itinerary than the timing. The reported plan would stretch for weeks and, if it holds, would leave Kelce trying to balance a major personal milestone with the kind of offseason routine that eventually has to point him back toward football, even if the couple is said to be keeping things quiet and largely off the grid along the way. [Read more 🡒]
Why Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift Still Mean Big Business For Chiefs
Taylor Swifts presence around the Chiefs has done more than dominate the pop-culture conversation. Since she began showing up at games after her relationship with Travis Kelce became public, the ripple effects have been hard to miss, from a broader television audience to a surge in interest around the team and its star tight end. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has even pointed to the growth of the fan base, saying the club has become significantly more popular with women as Swifts profile around the franchise has grown.
The business side has been just as striking. Fanatics reported a massive jump in Kelce jersey sales after Swifts first appearance at Arrowhead, and one Chiefs-Bears game drew a huge audience while viewership among young female fans also climbed. For Kansas City, it has turned a celebrity romance into something much bigger than a headline, with the team still benefiting from the attention every time Swift is linked to the NFL stage. [Read more 🡒]
Prince William Had An Unexpected Chiefs Moment With Travis Kelce
Prince William made an unexpected stop in Chiefs country by joining Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce on their New Heights podcast, a crossover that gave the conversation a distinctly Kansas City flavor. The episode bounced from football to barbecue to the World Cup, with Travis doing his part to sell the city and its food scene while the prince listened in on a setting that felt a lot less formal than Buckingham Palace.
The lighter moments came with a familiar Chiefs touch, including a training camp joke that fit the Kelce brothers easygoing style. Prince William also said he would come to the United States for the World Cup final if England gets there, which added a little extra intrigue to a conversation that already had plenty of it. For Chiefs fans, it was the kind of offbeat cameo that makes you wonder what other surprises might come out of a podcast mic. [Read more 🡒]