Why Jason Kelce Wore a ‘Big Yeti’ T-Shirt to Travis’ Game (Before Ripping It Off to Go Shirtless!)

The nickname dates back more than a decade — and is the “best nickname” Travis has, according to the Eagles center

Jason Kelce rocked not one but two “Big Yeti” t-shirts while supporting Travis Kelce on Sunday, and the explanation behind the hilarious nickname dates back to Travis’ time in college.

On the brothers’ joint podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, it’s common for Jason, 36, to refer to his younger brother as “Big Yeti,” so when Jason got the opportunity to see Travis, 34, play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, he made sure to show his support by referencing one of his favorite nicknames.

As Jason said on an October 2022 episode of the podcast, “It’s all about Big Yeti to me. Big Yeti is the best nickname you’ve ever had.”

The brothers then shared the origin of the nickname, which Travis earned during his time at the University of Cincinnati, where in between football practice he played pickup basketball “quite a bit,” as Jason said, and was often on the skins side of a shirts-and-skins pickup game.

“I had the big beard, I had the long hair, I had the chest hair, back hair, arm hair, leg hair… I was just a big ole Yeti out there, man. All the homies on the court were calling me ‘Big Yeti’ — especially ‘cause I was a low post player, so I was just down there giving work, handing out work in the post.”

The Best Photos of Jason Kelce Cheering for Travis with Taylor Swift at the Chiefs-Bills Game
For Sunday’s matchup between the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Jason’s love of the “Big Yeti” nickname was in full force as he was photographed in upstate New York with his parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, and his wife, Kylie Kelce, wearing a “Big Yeti” t-shirt. The $38 yellow t-shirt from HOMAGE said “Travis Kelce Big Yeti” in light blue lettering and featured an image of a yeti-version of Travis with a football in hand and a basketball hoop with the brothers’ podcast name written on it.

Upon arriving at the game, Jason had made his first outfit change of the night, and was wearing a different HOMAGE t-shirt, this time a red one with yellow letters spelling out “Big Yeti,” as he joined Taylor Swift, Cara Delevingne and other friends of Travis’ in a suite at the game.

The brand reacted to the support from the Eagles center, writing in a post on X that it’s “an amazing feeling” to see Jason wear one of their creations during one of the “biggest games of the season.” Rapper Eminem also wore one of the brand’s t-shirts at a recent Detroit Lions playoff game, and the brand mentioned that, too.

Jason’s time wearing a shirt at all didn’t last long, though, as his excitement at Travis and the Chiefs’ performance prompted him to go shirtless — both in the suite and in the stands. After Travis scored his first touchdown of the night, his brother whipped off his shirt and let out a scream as he held a beer in his hand. Later on, he hopped out of the suite and into the snowy stands where he greeted both Bills and Chiefs fans and chugged a beer all before hoisting himself back into the suite with ease.

His middle daughter, Elliotte, 2 ½, had a hilarious reaction to the shirtless scene. “Ellie said ‘Dads boobs are showing!’ ” read a text that Jason shared on X, presumably from Kylie’s mom.

“Buffalo is awesome, the energy is contagious,” Jason wrote in the post as he shared the hilarious text. “Such an incredible experience!!”

Travis Kelce Talks Brother Jason Jumping Out of Their Suite to Hang with Fans: ‘We’re Athletic, Man’

Aside from Sunday’s game being notable as it advanced the Chiefs into the AFC Championship and saw Jason make himself into several hilarious memes, it also marked the first time he and his wife hung out publicly with Swift, 34. The interactions sent the internet into a frenzy, as people were loving the shots of Swift, Kylie and Jason sitting near each other and chatting in the suite during the game.

While Jason was in the stands, he helped a young fan show the popstar her poster as he hoisted her above his head so Swift could get a better view of the sign. After the girl, who was clad in Bills colors, waved to Swift, she and the Eagles star posed for a picture, and those in the immediate area cheered with approval.
Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after the Kansas City Chiefs score a touchdown during the first half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game

Jason was able to be in attendance to see the Kansas City Chiefs secure the playoff win after he and his Philadelphia Eagles were knocked out of the playoffs last weekend. The loss reignited a discussion about whether the center will retire after this season — his thirteenth with the Eagles — but he’s stayed mum about the decision thus far.

Sources told both ESPN and NFL Network that Jason informed his teammates after the Jan. 15 game that he was going to retire, but he later said on his podcast that there’s “too much emotion in the moment” after a loss to “make that decision.”

“I’m not trying to be dramatic to continue to draw this thing out,” he added. “I’m really not.”