Donna Kelce Opens Up About ‘Fun Ride’ Watching Sons Travis and Jason Kelce Become Superstars (Exclusive)

The proud mom of two also shared with PEOPLE a few of the ‘perks’ that have come with the ‘notoriety’ as a result of her sons’ respective NFL successes

Donna Kelce holds up photos of her sons, Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs at Footprint Center on February 6, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona
PHOTO: COOPER NEILL/GETTY
The past year was a win for Donna Kelce.

The beloved NFL mom spoke with PEOPLE about the “fun ride” she’s been on since her sons, Travis and Jason Kelce, faced off against each other at the LVII Super Bowl in February 2023.

“It’s been really surreal and it’s been a fun ride to be on,” Donna tells PEOPLE exclusively, nearly one year after the sibling showdown at the Big Game. “Being able to be with the kids more than I have in any other year previously” was one of the highlights she recalled without hesitation.

Just as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the Philadelphia Eagles center were respectively hard at work on the field, Donna put in the work herself to make it to both of her sons’ games throughout the 2023 season. One time, she even boarded a flight to catch both games in the same day!

Donna Kelce on How Her Family Stays ‘Tight-Knit’ amid Travis and Jason Kelce’s ‘Very Full Lives’ (Exclusive)
Outside of getting to spend time with Jason and Travis, Donna noted the “the experiences” and “the places” as a few of the “perks” that’ve “come with the notoriety” amid her sons’ growing fame. For Travis, in particular, his stardom undoubtedly rose when his team won the Super Bowl, but skyrocketed tenfold since dating Taylor Swift.

“Enjoying people that I’ve never met before” was another highlight Donna listed, before recalling “the moment that was the best” — which of course, was back when the whirlwind all began. “Definitely when both boys met each other in the Big Game,” she shares.

Aside from that moment, Donna reveals she doesn’t “really have any favorites.” Though, she did mention how “it was fun to be at the NFL Honors,” the league’s annual awards show in 2023, and a couple premieres. She cited Jason’s Prime Video documentary, Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes’s Netflix docuseries, Quarterback, as a few other “fun” experiences.

Elsewhere in our conversation, Donna opened up about what’s kept her family close over the years amid her sons’ respectively busy schedules as professional NFL athletes.

“We’re very, very small. We’re tight-knit,” Donna tells PEOPLE exclusively of her brood. “We stay together and try to help each other as much as we can.”

The mother of two broke down her family tree, explaining that her brother and her husband’s sister didn’t have any children. Therefore, Donna says, it was “just the two boys” — to which she admits, “growing up they used to yell at me because they didn’t have any cousins to play with on Christmas.”

Therefore, Donna and her sons always had each other’s backs. “We stay together and try to help each other as much as we can,” she says.

Outside of football and family, Donna says “food” and “friends” are what bonds the Kelces, since that’s what they “all have in common.” She’s sure to mention “grandchildren” as another bonding point, referencing Jason and his wife Kylie’s three daughters: Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett.

Of course, competition also bonds the boys — even in activities that span beyond the gridiron! “Dodgeball and golf” are some of the sports Donna lists, while recalling a few competitions that got heated during their childhood.

Among them included “who could get to the table first” and “who can sit in front of the car,” says Donna with a laugh, noting that the list “just went on and on and on.”

Family-friendly competitions aside, Donna says Travis and Jason haven’t held anything against each other from their past. At least not “at this point,” she admits. “I think they’re each other’s biggest fan.”