‘I took it personal’: Disappointed Travis Kelce couldn’t give bracelet to Taylor Swift

Tory Barron, ESPN EditorJul 26, 2023, 05:21 PM ET
Close

Rejection hits different when it comes at the hands of Taylor Swift — just ask Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

In early July, Kelce attended one of the songstress’ shows on the Arrowhead Stadium leg of her Eras Tour. While most concertgoers were likely there to enjoy the music, Kelce had an additional objective: give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it.

Sadly for Kelce, he was unable to catch Swift (yeah, that was a “Catching Kelce” reference).

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings,” Kelce told his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, on their “New Heights” podcast.

Kelce then explained why he was hoping to meet the singer.

“If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift with my number on it,” said Kelce.

This admission prompted Jason to ask for clarification on whether his brother was referring to his football number or phone number.

“You know which one,” Travis replied with a grin.

“She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal.”

Successful defense on Kelce? Unprecedented.

It’s unclear whether Swift evaded the 33-year-old’s attempt due to a grudge over the Chiefs defeating the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, but if her next album includes a song entitled “87,” we’ll know why.