As you can see I dedicated all of today's additions here to honor the great Jason Kelce.  I saved this one for last because of the title ... how befitting.  "LEGEND"

Legend

Posted: March 4th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor

Jason Kelce the football player is no more. After 13 amazing seasons as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kelce announced his retirement on Monday. Put simply, this is the end of an era.

Do yourself a favor and watch his press conference. It goes for 40 plus minutes, but is absolutely worth it.

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1OwGWYqePgQxQ

Kelce will go down as one of the greatest centers in NFL history. It is hard to say where he fits with Jim Ringo, Jim Otto, Mike Webster and Dwight Stephenson, to name a few of the top centers of all time. Heck, he might not even be the best center in Eagles history. Chuck Bednarik was a 5-time All Pro and he’s in the Hall of Fame. He also played both C and LB.

Kelce played a long time. He has the best movements skills I’ve seen from a center in the last 30 years. While Kelce is small for today’s NFL, he’s bigger than most of the guys listed above. They played in the 240-250 pound range.

Here is what I wrote about Kelce back in the spring of 2011.

Jason Kelce is a player I should have talked more about during the season. The problem was that Cincinnati was so bad that I watched them very little. I also had concerns about Kelce’s size. He’s only 6’3, 280. I wasn’t sure if NFL teams would be able to get past that build. When you watch Kelce play you can’t help but like him. Typical undersized guy. Plays with a chip on his shoulder. Goes full speed on every snap. Maximum effort. I think Kelce is the kind of guy you take a chance on late in the draft. The coaches have to love the thought of seeing him in practice. Kelce will drive D-linemen crazy. He’ll start fights due to his tenacious blocking style. He’ll bring out the competitive side in everyone around him. There is no guarantee Kelce will be good enough for the NFL, but this is a guy you want in Training Camp. Give him a chance and see what he can do. Jason is a good fit for Howard Mudd’s style of O-line play.

Notes on Kelce:

Undersized, but very athletic player.  3-year starter.  First couple of years were at LG.  Moved to C as a Senior.  Did a good job with shotgun snaps.  Usually crisp, accurate.  Lean, athletic build.  Has good feet.  Natural pass blocker.  Sinks his hips and widens his feet so he can anchor. Lacks ideal bulk, so technique is crucial for him. Outstanding blocker in space.  Very good on screens. Athletic enough to get upfield and will then go and get big hits on defenders. Active blocker. Always finds someone to hit. Works hard to sustain blockers. Defender might get by him initially, but Kelce will keep his hands on the guy and move his feet so as not to let the defender go free in the backfield.  Lacks ideal bulk/strength. Isn’t going to get as much push on run plays as you want. What he will do is stick with a block and wear defenders down. Puts guys on the ground when he gets a chance. Plays with a lot of attitude.

Does he have the functional size and strength to start in the NFL? If not, could be a TE, FB, or H-back. Good player. Would be mid-round target if he were bigger.

Thank goodness Howard Mudd was the OL coach back then. He pushed for Kelce to be drafted and then put him on the field ASAP. That turned out to be a terrific marriage of player and coach. Amazingly, things got even better in 2013 when Jeff Stoutland arrived. He turned out to be the perfect coach to guide Kelce from good starter to All Pro.

Mudd got Kelce to Philly and the NFL. Stoutland helped him become great. Five years from now, Kelce will be headed to Canton, Ohio.

Beyond Jason Kelce the player, he proved to be an amazing fit for the city of Philadelphia as a person. Kelce is an underdog and a grinder. He also loves to have fun. Watching him at Phillies games or tend bar for charity or go wild at a Bills game, Kelce seems like your crazy buddy. He doesn’t come across as a star football player.

We were lucky to get to enjoy life with Kelce for 13 years. He is undecided about what comes next, but something tells me he’ll be entertaining us for a long time.

*****

*****

BG might be coming back.

http://igglesblitz.com/2024/03/legend/

Kelce has overtaken BDawk as my all-time favorite Eagle.  Close, but the way Kelce relates to Philly and the fans and speaks his mind while being 100% genuine...true legend.  I hope he finds his way to a role on the team.  I'd rather him remain Philly-oriented vs losing him to National sports media.