Travis Kelce just finished what he called “the happiest year of my life.” He was thinking about how big it was that the Kansas City Chiefs won their second Super Bowl on Sunday.

“Getting your first one is one thing, but getting two is a whole different feeling,” Kelce said after the game, often fighting back tears at the podium. “I’ve never wanted a game more than I wanted this one. The guys in this locker room and the teammates I’ve had felt the same way.

Since Kelce and his family, especially his mother Donna, have been in the national spotlight for the past two weeks because of Super Bowl LVII, the afterglow was especially meaningful for them. In some ways, brother Jason Kelce was the backbone of the Eagles’ offence in 2022, just like he had been for the previous 12 years. Travis has made a name for himself as the best tight end in the game.

Travis said, “It’s the best feeling in the world to see my family in all its glory, get all the flowers, and have my mom be the centre of attention on the jumbotron before the game on the biggest stage. It’s also the best feeling to get closer to my brother during the season and then meet him at the top of the mountain.”

Each Kelce brother had one Super Bowl ring going into Sunday. Travis, the younger brother, left in a second. After the Chiefs beat the Eagles in a 38-35 nail-biter, they hugged at midfield as confetti fell on them. Both brothers thought about the strange time when they had so many different feelings.

Travis said, “There’s not much you can say to a loved one in a situation like that.” “You always joke around and say you want to beat your brother on the biggest stage ever, but it feels weird.

“There’s not much I could tell him besides that I love him and that he played a great year and season.”

“I’m just happy for him. “Congratulations,” Jason told Travis and also said it to him. “Getting here is hard. I haven’t let the feelings get to me quite yet. I’m sure things will get more emotional between us. At that point, she was still angry.

“But I’m super, super happy for Trav. Played him to death…. Surely would have liked to win, but I’m happy for Trav.” Also, don’t forget that they don’t spend much time apart. If they stick to their podcast schedule, it will be like two days. Jason made a joke, “It’s going to be an awkward podcast.”

Travis got off to a great start, catching passes for 60 yards and scoring the Chiefs’ first touchdown in the first quarter. However, the Eagles changed their defence and didn’t let him catch a pass until the third quarter. Travis only caught three passes in the second half, but he made a great play on the first touchdown drive of the second half. He ended up with six passes, 81 yards, and a touchdown.

Travis said after the game that the Chiefs felt pressure from head coach Andy Reid to win this game, and Patrick Mahomes confirmed this. Reid was about to win his second Super Bowl ring when he played against his old team, for whom he never won a Super Bowl. Just like it means a lot to Kelce and Mahomes, it also means a lot to Reid and his reputation as one of the best coaches of all time.

“We really wanted to win this for him because he was playing against his old team,” Kelce said. “…You can call it whatever you want, but that didn’t happen in Philadelphia. It happened right here in Kansas City.” It gives him a lot of pride to know that he’s done well in two different groups, but this one was better.”

At halftime, the Chiefs were behind 24-14 and Mahomes was limping because he had hurt his ankle late in the second quarter. Kelce said that the Chiefs’ message at halftime was simple.

“Let’s go be ourselves,” Kelce said. “Let’s go out there and be ourselves and play with a little more fire. That was pretty much the end of the conversation. “Play a little harder for the guy next to you,” he said.

Kelce says that Reid’s coaching style made the comeback possible. He calls Reid “the ultimate challenger.”

Kelce said of Reid, “He can understand you and bring out the best in you.” “I wish I could explain it, but that’s what makes him the best. To be able to challenge 53 grown men without disrespecting anyone and to find a way to challenge them all at the same time. I’ve never met anyone who does it better than he does.

“I owe him a lot, and I respect the way he leads. I try to be as good of a leader to everyone else as he is.”

Now, it looks like they’re going to run it back again, even though Kelce said, “I don’t know how many I have left.” But Reid said after the game that it was too soon to talk about him retiring, and Mahomes still has three years until he turns 30, so the Chiefs should be ready for another run at the Super Bowl next season.

Kelce said, “You can call it anything you want.” “All I know is that we’ll try again next year with our hearts and minds in the right place,” I’ll tell you right now.