Jason Kelce has spoken out following the viral circulation of a video capturing him hurling the smartphone of a college football enthusiast who had hurled homophobic insults at his brother, Travis Kelce. During the opening segment of ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown," the retired Philadelphia Eagles center addressed the controversy, in which he was also heard labeling the fan with a derogatory slur.
"The world has witnessed the unfolding drama," Kelce confessed. "I'm anything but pleased with the sequence of events. I harbor no pride in it. In a moment fueled by passion, I chose to retaliate against hate with hate, and I genuinely believe that this is unproductive. It fosters no meaningful dialogue and is far from the right approach.
"In that fleeting instant, I descended to a level beneath my standards. The crux of the matter is that I strive to live by the golden rule. It's the principle instilled in me since childhood – to treat others with basic respect and dignity. And I shall endeavor to uphold this moving forward, despite my shortcomings this week."
On Saturday, after featuring on ESPN's "College GameDay" for the clash between Ohio State and Penn State, a fan approached Kelce, taunting him with, "Hey, Kelce. How does it feel knowing your brother's a faggot dating Taylor Swift?" referring to Kelce's brother, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who has been in a relationship with Swift since the previous year.
The footage then shows Jason snatching the fan's phone and crunching it underfoot. Another clip shared online captures the fan frantically searching for his phone, presumably saying to Jason, "Give me my phone, bro," and shoving him before Kelce retaliated with, "Who's the faggot now?"
Penn State University Police are reportedly probing the incident involving Kelce and the unnamed college football enthusiast on campus.
