Steve Spagnuolo Pokes Fun At Chiefs' Travis Kelce
Steve Spagnuolo Pokes Fun At Chiefs' Travis Kelce originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Travis Kelce will play his 12th and final season in the NFL in 2025. Since entering the league in 2014, few people have the record of accomplishment that he holds to his name, especially at the tight end position.
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Kelce will leave the game as arguably the greatest to every play his position, winning three Super Bowls and holding a number of individual accolades. There's no questioning how bright his star shines on the field.
Looking back on his days before reaching the NFL, that excellence did not translate into the classroom. Kelce was far from an exemplary student athlete at Cincinnati, almost losing his scholarship at one point because of his shortcomings there and with some extracurricular activities.
He ultimately got his act together, finding his way to maintain a 3.2 GPA that was enough to earn the nod from his coaches to continue his career.
All of that is a now well documented story and one he took plenty of lessons from. But it did not save him from catching a lighthearted stray from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
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The veteran coach appeared on Travis' "New Heights" podcast, where he took a jab at Kelce.
"I value what I call 'football get it,'" Spagnuolo said. "Listen, you don't have to be a 4.0 student in college, I mean, I don't ask about GPAs, right? Trav wouldn't be able to play defense if we were asking about GPAs."
That remark caught a hearty laugh from Travis and his brother Jason.
Nonetheless, Spagnuolo and Kelce have been instrumental in the construction of this Chiefs dynasty. The coach joined Kansas City's staff in 2019 and has played a part in all three of the Chiefs' Super Bowl wins since then just as Travis has.
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While the two do not work directly together on the practice field, that amount of time together and the heights reached in that time certainly forged some kind of meaningful relationship.
All jokes aside, Spagnuolo will try to do everything in his power to have the Chiefs' defense operating at a high level once again to help the team send off Travis the right way.
Related: Chiefs Will Have New Travis Kelce in 2025
Related: Chiefs Rookie Turning Heads for Patrick Mahomes Offense
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
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