Travis Kelce got a chance to meet the man he once borrowed for one of his most memorable touchdown celebrations.
Back in his first full season with the Chiefs in 2014, Kelce put together a three-game stretch in which he found the end zone at least once. One of those scores came on a 2-yard catch from Alex Smith that gave Kansas City the first points in a 22-17 loss to the 49ers on Oct. 5, 2014, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
After that touchdown, Kelce went full Ric Flair. He mimicked the legendary wrestler and finished it off with Flair’s trademark “WOOOO!!”
“There’s another little dance by Kelce,” CBS Sports broadcaster Phil Simms noted.
Kelce has never exactly hidden the wrestling fandom. Fans also remember him taking a shot at Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval by calling him a “jabroni,” a line that carried a clear The Rock flavor.
So the scene Friday night in Tampa, Florida, had a little extra juice for Kelce, Andy Reid and Chris Jones. The Chiefs arrived ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers, and there was Flair waiting for them.
Flair, known as The Nature Boy, is one of wrestling’s all-time icons. He posted a photo from the meeting and made sure to salute the Chiefs in style.
“Hanging With The Big Boys In Tampa! It Doesn’t Get Better Than This!
Andy Reid, The Nature Boy, And @tkelce! Go @Chiefs!
LFG! WOOOOO!”
Flair wrote on social media.
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Chiefs Changed The NFL Spotlight In A Way That Raises Questions
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The bigger question is what the league does with it now. The commercial pull of the Swift effect is obvious, but so is the risk of the conversation drifting away from the players and the game itself. League observers see a chance to turn temporary curiosity into longer-term football interest, even as they acknowledge the bump may not last forever. [Read more 🡒]