Travis Kelce isn’t hiding from the past, in fact, he’s laughing about it. On the latest episode of New Heights, the podcast he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened up about how a failed drug test in college once threatened to tank his professional future.
The 35-year-old NFL star was suspended during his sophomore year at the University of Cincinnati after testing positive for marijuana. Jason, now retired, brought it up while discussing how the incident affected Travis‘ standing in the 2013 NFL Draft.
“You probably got drafted an entire round later than you should have,” Jason said. “All because of a little weed.”
Travis, grinning, playfully pushed back on the seriousness of the term “marijuana.” But the implications were no joke back then. Once a promising quarterback, the suspension forced him to reinvent himself-and ultimately switch to tight end, a position that would define his career.
From red flag to red zone threat
During the podcast, Travis recalled how his return to the team after suspension came with conditions: he could rejoin, but only as a walk-on and not at quarterback. That twist of fate led him into the tight end room-where he’d discover his true calling.
He’s since become one of the most dominant tight ends in NFL history, helping the Chiefs win multiple Super Bowls and redefining the position for a generation.
Jason pointed out the irony of teams passing on his brother back then, especially in a league where marijuana use is no longer taboo. “We’re gonna act like this is a death sentence?” he joked.
A not-so-serious take on serious doubts
Jason, never one to hold back, offered a bold suggestion for players like Travis who slide in the draft due to “character concerns.”
“If it pans out,” he said, “you should walk into your second deal signing it with a blunt in your hand.”
Though he made clear he wasn’t condoning drug use, his point was sharp: sometimes, the system overreacts to mistakes that don’t define the person. And for Travis Kelce, that early misstep may have been the best thing that ever happened to him.
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