Before he became one of the best tight ends in the NFL ever, Travis Kelce was an all-conference high school quarterback who passed for more than 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns in his senior year.
He committed to the Cincinnati Bearcats football program as a tight end and played quarterback in wildcat formations. He emerged as a better pass-catcher than passer and became a third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013.
SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE
Kelce admitted on Friday ahead of the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills that he wanted to be a quarterback much in the style of Josh Allen.
“Josh is who I used to dream of being like in the NFL,” he told reporters. “Big, athletic quarterback. Big arm. Being able to be a dual-threat guy.
“His ability to do everything – you can tell, he really took the bull by the horns and been their leader up front, and channeled that. Guys come in and out of the building and he’s the main guy that makes them go, and I have a lot of respect for that guy.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Kelce had been gifted the opportunity to throw the football three times in the regular season and once in the playoffs. He came through in the clutch in the postseason, throwing a touchdown pass in the 2021 divisional-round playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Allen, a 6-foot-5, 237-pound gunslinger, has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and is vying for the first NFL MVP award of his career.
He’s been the face of the Bills since he took over the starting job. He had 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes this season. He also ran for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE APP
The two teams will meet again with a trip to Super Bowl LIX on the line.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Sports Huddle newsletter.