Police investigating after former Eagle Jason Kelce smashes phone outside Penn State game
A Penn State police spokesperson said Monday the department is investigating after retired Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce was seen slamming a heckler’s phone to the ground outside Beaver Stadium after a homophobic slur was used to describe Kelce’s brother.
The department’s crime log listed criminal mischief and disorderly conduct as potential violations. Both crimes can be filed as summary citations or misdemeanors, while criminal mischief may also be charged as a felony if the loss amounts to more than $5,000.
It was not immediately clear who, if anyone, reported the incident to police. The crime log said an officer observed a “visitor damaging personal property” at the intersection of Curtin Road and Commuter Drive.
Multiple videos posted to social media showed Kelce walking outside the stadium Saturday when the fan shouted “Hey Kelce, how does it feel your brother’s a f----- dating Taylor Swift?”
Kelce turned around, took the fan’s phone and forcefully threw it to the ground. The fan, who was wearing a Penn State sweatshirt, pushed the former NFL center to the ground and said “Give me my phone, Kelce.”
“Who’s the f----- now?” Kelce appeared to say three times before walking away.
The video went viral on social media Saturday, with a mixed reaction to Kelce’s response. Some were upset with him also using a slur but many others came to his defense and praised him for standing up for his family.
Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time Monday, Kelce expressed regret on ESPN for what happened. He told a national audience he was neither happy nor proud of “anything that took place.”
Kelce also intimated he may speak publicly about the incident again in the future, telling viewers tuned in for the Kansas City Chiefs-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game he did not think “this is the platform to necessarily go into more detail.”
“In a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate and I just don’t think that that’s a productive thing. I really don’t,” Kelce said. “... In that moment, I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have. So I think the bottom line is, I want to live my life — I try to live my life — by the golden rule. That’s what I’ve always been taught. I try to treat people with common decency, respect and I’m going to keep doing that moving forward even though I fell short this week.”
Saturday marked Kelce’s first time in State College. After a 13-year career in Philadelphia, Kelce is now an analyst for ESPN’s NFL coverage and appeared on the network’s College GameDay pregame show ahead of the Penn State-Ohio State game.
His brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, has been dating music megastar Taylor Swift since last year.
Penn State football coach James Franklin was not directly asked during a press conference Monday about Kelce’s interaction with the fan, but said he “loved ... there was a consequence” to the fan’s action.
“Can it go too far sometimes and we talk about the passion and all those things being great? Yes,” Franklin said. “But that also doesn’t excuse bad behavior at times. It comes with the territory, but that doesn’t make it right.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2024 at 4:30 PM.