Travis Kelce opened his home to help former Chiefs teammate Jody Fortson (Getty Images)
Travis Kelce had already established himself as one of the NFL’s best tight ends when the Kansas City Chiefs signed Jody Fortson as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Years later, Fortson revealed how much those gestures meant to him. Fortson was still learning the position, but he found a teammate who was willing to help him. Kelce shared his knowledge, explained the finer details of route-running and even invited him to his house to offer advice.
“Being in a room with Kelce, it definitely set me forward light years of where I would have been had I not had him, arguably having the greatest of all-time in that room,” Fortson explained. He added that there were “a lot of different nuances of the game” he learned from Kelce.
When Fortson spoke about that experience in March 2024, he made it clear that Kelce had left a lasting impression on him. Fortson joined Kansas City in 2019, when Kelce was already an established star. On March 18, 2024, Fortson spoke to reporters after signing with the Miami Dolphins.
Asked about his experience alongside Kelce, he said, “Let me just tell you: Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate of all-time. “He just showed unconditional love and just knowledge for the game,” he said. The former Chiefs tight end had plenty of reasons to remember those years fondly. Kelce did not just help him understand football better. He made time for a young player who was trying to earn his place in the league. Sharing a meeting room with the veteran gave him a chance to learn from one of the best tight ends in the game. However, Kelce did not simply expect him to pick things up by watching. Fortson also remembered the way Kelce shared his knowledge of the game.