Jason Kelce has always prided himself as a man of the people.
But as the former Pro Bowl center continues to gain more public prominence in his post-playing career, he finds himself experiencing the uglier side of fame.
Weeks after being involved in an altercation with a Penn State fan who used a homophobic slur to describe his brother, Kelce was targeted by an angry autograph hound in Hollywood on Thursday night. The incident in question happened following the 37-year-old’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in which he officially announced his upcoming late night show with ESPN.
Over the course of a three-minute-long video obtained by TMZ, the autograph-seeker can be heard shouting various — and often vulgar — insults at Kelce.
“You ain’t nobody special. You’re some s**t bag f**king guy who thinks you’re on some pedestal,” the man can be heard yelling at Kelce’s vehicle from behind a barbwire fence. “Don’t be a d**k. F**k him, f**k the autograph, it’s the attitude.”
“I have a habit of not signing for people who follow where I’m going,” the former Philadelphia Eagles star replied from behind his SUV.
“We’re not following you! We get every guest who comes here,” the man responded. “Morgan Freeman did it with a busted hand. That’s a hundred times bigger than your sorry ass. You’ve got a podcast and you think you’re a hot shot? You’re nothing. F**k you. You don’t love nothing but money. You don’t know these streets. F**k you, your love is fake… I’ll take you out anytime. And I’ll be running the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Watch for me, you p***y.”
Jason Kelce was confronted by an angry autograph seeker who berated the retired NFL star outside the Jimmy Kimmel show studio Thursday night — and the interaction was all captured on video.
Kelce, despite the verbal lashing, ultimately decided to make peace and sign for… pic.twitter.com/3rMuUi8wNV
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) November 22, 2024
Kelce proceeded to emerge from behind the fence and sign autographs for the onlookers. That led the man to change his tune — just seconds after he had been threatening the Monday Night Countdown analyst.
“I’m ashamed of that moment,” he said. “God bless you, sir. We supported you before this. I always laughed and liked you. I apologize. Because I do love you.”
Kelce responded by apologizing himself, with the two ultimately shaking hands. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection even went on to sign an autograph for the man, bringing an end to the bizarre interaction.
Such is life for Jason Kelce in 2024, as he continues to adjust from being a relatively anonymous offensive lineman to one of of the most famous faces in sports. If nothing else, he handled himself with much more composure than he did in Happy Valley, as no apology — or police investigation — will be necessary as a result of this incident.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.