Jason Kelce beautifully described his passion for football in an eloquent retirement speech

After a First Ballot Hall of Fame-caliber career, Jason Kelce officially retired from the NFL on Monday afternoon. The Philadelphia Eagles was a beloved figure in the league and understandably choked up with emotion at intermittent points during his speech.

One of the more notable segments of Kelce’s official goodbye was his description of why he loved the game of football so much. He was a guy who started as a walk-on at the University of Cincinnati and worked so hard to earn his keep because he simply appreciated strapping on shoulder pads and a helmet more than almost anything.

Kelce’s beautiful tangent about his love for his favorite game will ring true with anyone who has a deep connection to football. The intensity and competition, the love for his teammates, all of it:

.@JasonKelce perfectly encapsulates why he loves football. pic.twitter.com/3M8OQfgg6v

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024

If that doesn’t get you simultaneously choked and fired up, I don’t know what will. That is a man who appreciated every step of his long football journey and who captured the gravity of his privilege to play it at the highest level in the best way. To say this sentiment resonates would be an understatement.