SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. − The question was a rather silly one, referring to Jason Kelce’s penchant for beer drinking.
But the answer spoke volumes about why Kelce, the Eagles center, is such a beloved figure among Eagles fans. That was was evident by the few thousand fans who lined the circumference of an entire city block waiting to enter the Ocean Drive bar and restaurant.
That was where Kelce was holding his third annual Celebrity Bartending Event to raise money for the Eagles Autism Foundation and Team 62, which is Kelce’s Autism Challenge team. It’s safe to assume that Kelce shattered his previous high of $100,000 raised at his event.
“I would say beer drinking is a lot mental,” Kelce said. “Like, if you really want to be good at beer drinking, pretty much anybody can be good at beer drinking. You just gotta put the time in, and have the right drive to be good at it.
“Luckily, I was able to do that − and football − really well.”
But that’s not everything. Sure, Kelce is arguably the best center in the NFL, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro, and likely Hall of Famer when he’s done playing.
Kelce also has the respect from his teammates. At the Sea Isle event, longtime Eagles Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox served as guest bartenders. So did kicker Jake Elliott, tight end Dallas Goedert and left guard Landon Dickerson.
Earlier this month, quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked what offseason moves and roster changes by the Eagles stood out to him.
HE’S BACK:Jason Kelce is returning, but Eagles are losing Javon Hargrave, 2 other starters on defense
BEEFING UP?For pitching-rich Phillies, why trading for this star hitter could make all the difference
Hurts responded simply: “Kelce’s back. That stood out.”
That return was hardly guaranteed. Kelce, 35, has contemplated retirement in each of the past several offseasons. And what better way for him to go out than by playing in the Super Bowl this past February against his brother, Travis, a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs? With their parents on hand to bask in the national spotlight?
Not to mention a third daughter who was born a mere several days after the game.
But Kelce decided to put off retirement for another year, in part because the Eagles lost that game 38-35.
Kelce also believes in an offense led by Hurts, the MVP runner up who won’t turn 25 until August, along with top receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in addition to Goedert. The only major changes on offense were running backs D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny coming in to replace Miles Sanders, and either second-year player Cam Jurgens or rookie Tyler Steen replacing Isaac Seumalo at right guard.
“We’re very fortunate on offense not to have a lot of new pieces coming back,” Kelce said. “We’ll have a new face at right guard, but hopefully that’ll be somewhat of a familiar face. You always love it when teammates say nice things about that, about you. But I think we all feel that way about all of our offensive players.”
To that end, Kelce is approaching his 13th season, and he knows how to get ready. The Eagles have their first training camp practice on July 26.
“You don’t want to overthink it,” Kelce said. “I work out 3-4 days a week, run 2-3 times a week. That’s about it.”
It’s the same way preparing for this day, which Kelce described as “a marathon.” He said he was awake at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday making sure everything was ready. There was a beer-chugging contest, where Kelce downed a 30-ounce beer in about 5 seconds.
He admitted later that he nearly vomited.
“It was close. There was a pocket sitting right there” Kelce said as he pointed to the top of his chest. “I held it down, luckily, because that would’ve disqualified me. I think I recovered pretty good. I’ve been eating a bunch of pizza.”
After that came a live recording of his “New Heights” podcast with Travis Kelce where they no doubt discussed football and beer − and the Super Bowl. Then he helped make hoagies to celebrate “National Hoagie Day” and delivered them to Sea Isle lifeguards on the beach.
Then came the guest bartending, which Kelce called “the most intense part of the day.” Kelce was introduced a little after 4 p.m. to a rousing ovation and chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S!” along with “Kelce! Kelce!” He came out carrying a tray of Jell-O shots for the throngs of fans.
Then he got behind the bar and started serving drinks and posing for selfies, as did his teammates on hand.
It was no accident that the event was held in Sea Isle City. Back in February of 2013, Kelce was recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 of the 2012 season, his second NFL season. Kelce’s trainer at the time suggested that Kelce participate in the Polar Bear Plunge held at Sea Isle.
“Go in the ocean, ice water, it’ll be good for your knee,” Kelce said his trainer told him. “There was just, right away, I was taken aback by the excitement, the level of community that was around just for something like (the plunge). I’ve come back, pretty much every summer.”
Back then, nothing about Kelce’s NFL future was guaranteed as the Eagles’ sixth-round draft pick in 2011.
But now, Kelce has a house in Sea Isle City, and he has an event that’s revered the way the Polar Bear Plunge was for him a decade ago. He’s a legend on the field too. Kelce has started 139 consecutive games, the second longest active streak in the NFL and the second longest in Eagles history, behind only Jon Runyan who had 144 straight starts.
For Kelce, all of it is worthwhile.
“It’s a long day. It’s a marathon of a day,” Kelce said. “But with that much money raised for the Eagles Autism Foundation, and really just the joy of being here, it’s really one of the most fun charity events that certainly I’ve ever done and my brother’s ever done.
“It’s a good time.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
