Featured Image Credit: David Eulitt/Getty Images
Topics: Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, Jobs, Celebrity, Entertainment, Sport, US News, Barack Obama, Politics
Madison Burgess
Topics: Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, Jobs, Celebrity, Entertainment, Sport, US News, Barack Obama, Politics
It's hard to imagine Travis Kelce as anything except a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs - but once upon a time, he had a very different job.
The 36-year-old American footballer, who is engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift, 36, was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, has played 13 seasons, and is currently preparing for his 14th.
He holds several NFL and Chiefs franchise records and has become a huge name on the field, but before all of this, he was actually 'the worst f***ing telemarketer in the world,' in his own words, of course.
That's right, Kelce recently opened up about his life before the limelight, when he worked as a telemarketer, carrying out phone surveys on Obamacare, which was the affordable health care law introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2010.
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He reminisced on this unexpected role during the latest episode of his New Heights podcast, which he hosts with his older brother Jason Kelce.
For context, the guests on Wednesday's episode (25 March) were Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, and Anders Holm - the cast of Workaholics, which is an American sitcom about three college pals who become telemarketers together.
"Are you aware that there's another telemarketer with a past in this room?" Jason asked the group, forcing his brother to reveal details of his little-known past.
Travis said: "As fellow telemarketers, you know that you're reading an already pre-set [script]. I was the worst telemarketer in the f***ing world. was slinging surveys for Obamacare."
It's actually not the first time the sportsman has spoken out about this job, as he told ESPN in a 2017 interview that he sat in a tiny cubicle and people would shout at him about the government 'stealing their money'.
To make matters worse, he was only making $8 an hour.
Kelce said at the time: "All I had been doing is playing outside, playing sports my entire life. I had never sat down and tried to earn a living like that. That's not to hit on anybody's 9-to-5; that's just not for me."
He added, "The light at the end of the tunnel was that if I do what I'm supposed to do instead of being a knucklehead, I can have a way better life than this."
And that he did, as he went on to become a record-breaking American football player.
He returned to Cincinnati and took part in two college seasons before Kansas City selected him in the 2013 draft.
As one of the 'greatest tight ends,' he has the most career 1,000-yard receiving seasons by a tight end, is the fastest tight end to 10,000 yards, and holds the NFL record for most receptions in a single postseason.
Reacting to his shocking career past, one X user penned: "Crazy how life works… from telemarketing to NFL superstar."
While a second added: "Crazy how destiny can be calling you but you’re busy doing cold calls instead."
And a third joked: "Some of you probably blocked his number back then… now you argue he’s top 3 all time."