Zach Stipe Associate AD / Communications

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati football alum and future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Kelce announced on Monday his retirement from the NFL after 13 years as the center and team leader for the Philadelphia Eagles.
 
Kelce was a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He won Super Bowl LII in 2018 and appeared in another, facing his brother, Travis, in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
 
Kelce started all 17 regular-season games this season, leading the Eagles to an 11-6 mark and a third-straight trip to the playoffs. His 80.7 grade from Pro Football Focus made him the highest-graded center who played 1,000 snaps. He set an Eagles record for consecutive regular-season starts with 156 and tied the franchise mark for All-Pro selections, joining NFL Hall of Famers Reggie White and Chuck Bednarik.
 
He started and played in all 193 games in his career, ranking second in franchise history in games played.

 A former walk-on linebacker for the Bearcats, Kelce played for Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010, earning All-BIG EAST honors as an offensive lineman twice. He played for head coaches Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly and Butch Jones, helping lead UC to the 2008 Orange Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl. He was the Scout Team Defensive MVP in 2006 before moving to offensive line and starting three seasons from 2008 to 2010.
 
ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 450 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 118 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first non-Power Five program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
 
In 2023, the Bearcats entered a new era as a Power Five School when they officially joined the Big 12 Conference, positioning Cincinnati among the nation's premier athletics programs.
 
Off the field, UC student-athletes continue to find success, as well, collectively posting a 3.42 GPA in the fall of 2023 with 81 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll.
 
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our university and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
 
For more information visit gobearcats.com.