Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Kelce reveals foolish reason why Cowboys didn't draft him

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 3/6/24

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is well on his way to being the greatest ever to play his position.

One can’t help but wonder how different Kelce’s career would have been had Chiefs head coach Andy Reid not taken a chance on him in the third round of the 2013 draft. Several teams were interested in the seven-time All-Pro at the time, including the Dallas Cowboys, who Kelce claims passed on drafting him for what seems like a foolish reason in hindsight.

“The Cowboys, they were kind of pressing me about having this red flag of missing a year,” Kelce said on his and Jason Kelce's “New Heights” podcast. “…[My interview with them] ended really fast. I basically just said, ‘If you guys think I'm going to be that kind of guy, or you're questioning if I'm still that person after everything that I've battled through to get to where I am now from missing a season, then you guys [should] probably go somewhere else and pick somebody else.' And that's exactly what they did.”

Travis Kelce chatted about his combine visit with the Dallas Cowboys #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/N7ltHIU417
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 6, 2024

Last July, Kelce explained during an appearance on “Bussin’ with the Boys” how that missing year of college helped turn his life and football career around.

While in New Orleans for the 2010 Sugar Bowl, Kelce, a two-star quarterback at the time, failed a drug test after “partying too much.” He was subsequently suspended from the team for a year and forced to rejoin the Bearcats as a walk-on because he had lost his scholarship.

Kelce switched to tight end after his suspension and finished his senior season with 43 receptions, 772 yards and eight touchdowns, and he set a school record for single-season receiving yards by a tight end. The Chiefs took him with the 63rd overall pick.

The Cowboys, who were also in the market for a tight end, drafted Gavin Escobar with the 47th overall pick. Escobar spent four seasons with the Cowboys, totaling 30 receptions, 333 yards and eight touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Kelce has been named to nine Pro Bowls, has seven All-Pro selections, and has won three Super Bowls.

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