Overview

• In an exclusive interview with GQ, Kelce recalled breaking down in tears during a 2013 meeting with then-Browns coach Rob Chudzinski and declaring he’d “die for this city” to join his hometown team.
• Cleveland held the No. 6 overall pick and used its next selection at No. 68, meaning the Browns’ draft position left them unable to take Kelce before the Kansas City Chiefs snapped him up at No. 63.
• Kelce said Chudzinski reacted with shock, looking at him “like I was insane” when he poured out his emotions about growing up in nearby Westlake and Cleveland Heights.
• Since landing in Kansas City, Kelce has compiled a Hall of Fame–bound résumé with 10 Pro Bowl nods, multiple All-Pro honors and three Super Bowl rings.
• Sports outlets have amplified the anecdote to humanize Kelce’s deep Ohio roots and fuel ‘what if’ discussions about how his career and the Browns’ franchise might have diverged.