What did Jason Kelce say about Louis Reese-Zammit? Ex-NFL star accepts mistake for 'very incorrect' statements
Jason Kelce is a man of many virtues, and he's known in league circles for his personality just as he was known for his excellent play on the field. However, the now-retired center, who played his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles, recently received backlash for a comment he made about Welsh people.
Context is needed, of course. The Kansas City Chiefs, where Travis Kelce, Jason's brother, is a superstar, signed former rugby player Louis Reese-Zammit to a future contract in hopes of developing him into an NFL player. When the brothers were speaking about the signing, Kelce made a rather unnecessary comment about Reese-Zammit's nationality:
"When I think of Welsh, I think British people call it 'posh'. I think of these rich, upper class, just beautiful white people. He's the running stereotype of what I would think of with a Welsh person. I don't know if that's an accurate stereotype but that's certainly what I think of, and he's helping continue that trend in my mind. I'm excited to see what this guy does. I know it's going to be a learning curve, but I hope this guy takes the world by f****** storm"
The former center has now apologized for his comments after being called out on Twitter:
Why was Jason Kelce so important to the Eagles?
Jason Kelce wasn't a common center. He's smaller than the average player at the position, but his athleticism allowed him to reach the second level quickly while holding bigger defensive linemen due to his functional strength. His technique allowed him to play bigger than his size.
There's no way to describe how important Jason Kelce was to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was not only a great center - he was the pillar of their offensive line and one of the most important guys in the locker room. With Kelce and Fletcher Cox retiring from the game, a big void has opened and new leaders will have to emerge on the roster.
There's no doubt that it will be impossible to replace his quality on the field and his relationship with the community off of it, so there's no point in even trying. The best that the Eagles could do is start over in the position and just develop a new leader without the pressure of being Kelce.