Travis Kelce remembers everyone who picked his Kansas City Chiefs to lose in Super Bowl LVII, and he told the doubters to "look at us now" after proving them wrong.
Kelce caught the Chiefs' opening touchdown in their 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, going on to finish with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown from his six targets.
It meant he finished with at least six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown in each of the Chiefs' three playoff games this season, having led all tight ends with 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.
The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer now has two titles to go with his seven All-Pro selections, and although the Chiefs are viewed as a dynasty in the making, Kelce still felt his team were being discounted ahead of the big game.
"Not a single one of y'all said the Chiefs were gonna take it home this year," he told FOX Sports. "Feel that s***. Feel it, and on top of it, next time the Chiefs say something, put some respect on our name."
During the celebrations, Patrick Mahomes called Kelce "the greatest ever" at his position, while Kelce also had some kind words for his quarterback.
"Pat Mahomes, M-V-Pat," he said. "You can't say nothing about what this guy means to Kansas City and this team."
When asked why he always seems to be able to get open, Kelce again pointed to the infrastructure around him.
"Come on, baby. I've got Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes," he said. "I have a great team, we had a great run, and, man, it feels good. Not one of y'all said the Chiefs were going to win it, and look at us now."
The Chiefs trailed by 10 at half-time, and Kelce indicated the weight of the moment may have been getting to some, but everything flipped after the break.
"That first half – it was a big moment, a big game – a lot of guys playing a little uncharacteristic," he said. "We were able to regroup at half-time and figure it out – in that second half, man, we were flying around.
"[Coach Reid] just told everybody to be yourselves. We were a little uncharacteristic in the beginning, but everyone had that determination, that look in their eye, coming out here in the second half.
"They were going to pour everything out on that field. That's what you saw. You saw everybody pour everything out on the field for the second half, and the Chiefs came away with the victory, baby."
Eagles lock up wide receiver Smith through 2028
The Philadelphia Eagles locked up wide receiver DeVonta Smith through the 2028 season on Monday.
Philadelphia exercised its fifth-year option on Smith for the 2025 season and agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2028.
Smith’s extension is reportedly worth $75million, including $51million in guaranteed money.
Philadelphia selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy with Alabama in 2020.
Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991 and first non-quarterback or running back to capture the honour since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.
Smith has caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games while adding 27 receptions for 405 yards and a TD catch in five postseason contests.
OJ Simpson: Cherished star whose fall from grace was seen live by millions on TV
From cherished American superstar to villain whose murder trial captivated a global audience, OJ Simpson’s fall from grace was startling.
Simpson, nicknamed ‘The Juice’, has died at the age of 76 after losing his battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind four children.
Before the low-speed car chase by police and ‘Trial of the Century’ that began the unravelling of his reputation, Simpson was a darling of American sport who had also carved out a successful acting career.
He was raised in a low income neighbourhood in San Francisco and joined a local gang but his athleticism offered a route out and he found his purpose in gridiron.
A prolific running back, he starred for USC and in 1968 won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding player in college football. Inevitably, he was first overall draught pick the following year.
Progress in his first couple of seasons at the Buffalo Bills was slow but his impact grew and he went on to become one of the most successful operators in his position, winning the NFL’s most valuable player in 1973 and being inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.
He became the game’s highest paid player and lucrative commercial deals also followed as companies looked to leverage his charisma and popularity, while his acting career included parts in blockbusters ‘Towering Inferno’ and ‘The Naked Gun’.
For all his film presence he was little known outside the United States but that changed for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in 1994 for the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Brown and Goldman had been found stabbed to death in LA and once police had filed charges, Simpson refused to turn himself in and was pursued in an extraordinary car chase that was at low speed because he had a gun pointed to his head.
The event was televised live to millions and projected his notoriety worldwide, with the broadcasting of his subsequent murder trial only intensifying interest in this fallen star.
He was acquitted the following year but a civil lawsuit found him liable for the deaths, resulting in an order to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families. Only a fraction of that amount was actually paid.
Arrests followed for a variety of offences in the early 2000s and his lowest point eventually came in 2007 when he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.
He served nine of a 33-year jail sentence and upon his release he continued to live in Las Vegas, looking increasingly frail when in public but active on social media. Simpson always maintained his innocence of the murders.
OJ Simpson dies aged 76
OJ Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76.
Simpson was a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, before being acquitted of murder in a trial in the mid-1990s.
News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on his X account.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
