The Philadelphia Eagles shared an iconic motivational speech from Jason Kelce as their players head into training camp this week.
The 36-year-old was asked to speak in front of his former team ahead of their first season since his retirement earlier this year.
On Monday, the team posted a snippet from Kelce’s speech with creatively placed subtitles, background music, and b-roll of his highlights.
‘Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence — talent will not,’ Kelce told the team.
‘I was a walk-on coming out of high school. They told me I wasn’t good enough. So I got drafted and everyone said I was too small, I didn’t have what it takes.’
Jason Kelce gave a motivational speech to the Philadelphia Eagles before training camp
The University of Cincinnati alum grinded his way to earning the starting spot after getting drafted by the Eagles in 2011. After 13, seasons, he became a beloved figure in Philadelphia, a Super Bowl champion, and arguably one of the best centers in American football history.
After a successful career, Kelce hung up his cleats in March. However, he told PEOPLE in June that he had considered calling it quits for a while.
‘I’ll be very honest, the last four years I’ve wanted to retire at the end of seasons,’ Kelce said. ‘The reality is it’s really hard to get there. And even after we lost the Super Bowl, I wanted to come back and play for another Super Bowl.
Kelce earned a starting position in his first year with the Eagles after getting drafted in 2011
Kelce helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl in 2019 and became beloved in Philadelphia
The center retired from the NFL in March after a successful 13-season career
‘But imagining another 17 games on top of playoffs and coming back was very difficult to envision being able to do.’
While his days on the field are in the rearview, Kelce remains close to the game as he gears up to join ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown as a broadcaster.
Nevertheless, Kelce remained adamant that athletes should keep striving for excellence, as seen on his speech.
‘We are all so much better than you f****** realize,’ he told his former team. ‘The human mind is f****** incredible Everyone here is here for a f****** reason, I promise you.’
