Travis Kelce had already established himself as one of the NFL’s best tight ends when the Kansas City Chiefs signed Jody Fortson as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Fortson was still learning the position, but he found a teammate who was willing to help him. Kelce shared his knowledge, explained the finer details of route-running and even invited him to his house to offer advice. Years later, Fortson revealed how much those gestures meant to him.The former Chiefs tight end had plenty of reasons to remember those years fondly. Kelce did not just help him understand football better. He made time for a young player who was trying to earn his place in the league. When Fortson spoke about that experience in March 2024, he made it clear that Kelce had left a lasting impression on him.
Travis Kelce treated an undrafted Chiefs rookie like more than just a teammate
Jody Fortson joined Kansas City in 2019, when Travis Kelce was already an established star. Sharing a meeting room with the veteran gave him a chance to learn from one of the best tight ends in the game. However, Kelce did not simply expect him to pick things up by watching.On March 18, 2024, Fortson spoke to reporters after signing with the Miami Dolphins. Asked about his experience alongside Kelce, he said, “Let me just tell you: Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate of all-time. On any level: Pop Warner, high school, college, Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate.”He explained what made Travis Kelce’s support so special: “Not only because he took his time trying to teach me the role of being the tight end but because of how a great person he is. He didn’t even have to (do that).”Fortson also remembered the way Kelce shared his knowledge of the game.“He just showed unconditional love and just knowledge for the game,” he said.Watching Travis Kelce helped him understand how to attack different routes, read coverage and find openings in opposing defences.“Being in a room with Kelce, it definitely set me forward light years of where I would have been had I not had him, arguably having the greatest of all-time in that room,” Fortson explained.
A visit to Travis Kelce’s house gave Jody Fortson a lesson he never forgot
Some of Travis Kelce’s most valuable advice came outside the Chiefs’ training facility. Fortson recalled visiting his teammate’s house, where they discussed how to improve his route-running.“I used to be rushing my routes and stuff, but like, even going to Kelce’s house and like, ‘Hey, man, you can slow it down. Like every route doesn’t have to be a hundred miles an hour, you can kind of play with the tempo. You can maneuver it a little bit,'” Fortson recalled.He added that there were “a lot of different nuances of the game” he learned from Kelce.The advice was simple but important. Fortson began to understand that running every route at full speed was not always the best approach. Changing pace and reading defenders could help him create better opportunities.Fortson also praised Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during the same media availability. He called Reid “a great coach” and admired how he used formations and motions to prepare for different opponents.He explained that even without being involved in creating the game plan, watching Reid’s weekly preparation taught him a lot.“Last week, it (a play) looked like this and this week, it might look like that,” Fortson said. “You know, it was a great time being up there and seeing how he was able to maneuver that for some years.”Fortson eventually left Kansas City and signed with Miami in March 2024. However, his account showed how much his former teammate contributed to his development. Kelce gave him something beyond football lessons: his time, knowledge and genuine support.
