Former Philadelphia Eagles center and Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce still has a few more years of mandatory waiting before he's eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But his alma mater Cincinnati is ready to put him in their Hall now.
On Thursday, the university announced that it will induct Kelce into the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame in celebration of the 50th anniversary class. Kelce's induction, along with many other members of the class, will take place on Friday, October 23, the night before Cincinnati's Homecoming football game against Big 12 rival Texas Tech.
"Kelce is the final member of 50th Anniversary Class of 2026, which is presented by Performance Automotive and also includes legendary men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins, track and field All-Americans Loretta Blaut and Wayne Mason, baseball career batting average leader Mike Kinnett, women’s soccer record-setting goalkeeper Christy Hoffman, and Kelce’s UC and Philadelphia Eagles’ teammate and football great Connor Barwin. Longtime athletic trainer Bob Mangine will receive the Bob Goin Award for distinguished service," the university said in a statement.
"The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted at 7:30 p.m. inside Fifth Third Arena on Friday, Oct. 23, the night before Cincinnati’s 100th Homecoming football game versus Texas Tech."
From Linebacker to Legend
Kelce first joined the Bearcats in 2006 as a walk-on linebacker, earning Scout Team Defensive MVP as a freshman but soon switched to offensive line and became a star. He was a two-time All-Big East selection and played a big role in the team's back-to-back conference titles and major bowl game trips under Brian Kelly.
Kelce wound up going to the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and promptly beat out the incumbent for the starting center job on the team. It would be a position he'd hold for the next 13 years.
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During those 13 years in Philly, Kelce made seven Pro Bowls, six First-Team All-Pro selections and helped the team win its first Super Bowl in 2017.
He retired after the 2023 season and is widely expected to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in about two years.
