Penn State fans might recognize this man sitting next to Taylor Swift at KC Chiefs games
As Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched their fourth AFC title in five seasons Sunday afternoon, Taylor Swift was cheering them on from her private box. Although the box is often filled with her best friends and celebrities — most recently Keleigh Teller and Cara Delevingne — one face may have been familiar to Penn State basketball fans.
Former Penn State men’s basketball player Ross Travis is a close friend of Kelce, a longtime tight end for the Chiefs, and has been seen supporting him from Kelce’s suite at football games. Travis previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs after he was signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
Travis was a forward on the Penn State men’s basketball team between 2011-15 and was a consistent part of the team’s rotation. He averaged 5.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in his final season for the Nittany Lions.
Throughout his basketball career he played 131 games, starting 96 of them. His junior year he averaged 8.4 points with a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game during the 2013-14 season, according to Penn State athletics.
In 2015 he entered the NFL Draft as a tight end despite not playing football in college at all. He wasn’t drafted but the Kansas City Chiefs added him to their practice squad. In 2016, he was signed to the roster.
During his two seasons with Kansas City, he played 17 games. He caught eight passes on 18 receiving and earned 58 receiving yards during his time with the Chiefs.
He was cut late in 2017. In a 2017 Instagram post, Travis wrote “playing at Arrowhead is an experience I’ll never forget, thank you for being the best fans we could ever ask for and showing up each and every game to cheer your asses off!”
Following his departure, he played for other NFL teams including the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.
His presence at Chiefs’ games has not gone unnoticed by Taylor Swift fans who closely monitor who’s in the suite with her. One TikTok video paying tribute to Travis has more than 143,000 likes.
Swift and Kelce have been dating for about six months now and she’s become a staple at the games. Although some “dads, Brads and Chads” may not enjoy seeing her cheer on the big screen, other dads are thanking the global superstar singer-songwriter for bringing them closer to their daughters.
