Jason Kelce said an emotional farewell to the NFL this week as the former Philadelphia Eagles center confirmed that he is hanging up his cleats after 13 seasons in the league.
Tears were shed all around in a press conference on Monday as the 36-year-old was joined by his family, including brother Travis, as Jason held court for 45 minutes, recalling his greatest moments and thanking his family, former team-mates, coaches, staff members and opponents.
One small detail that went somewhat unnoticed during the press conference was that Kelce’s ankles appeared to be taped up, just as they would have been in one of his 193 NFL appearances with the Eagles.
It has now been revealed that this was a classy gesture on the part of Kelce, as he asked long-time Eagles trainer Joseph O’Pella to tape up his ankles one last time after he missed the center’s final NFL game last season because he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
O’Pella had taped Kelce’s ankles every day during his 13 years with the Eagles and has revealed in an emotional Instagram post that Kelce wanted him to be the last person to ever tape him up.
“You all know about the on-field accomplishments, and many of the off-field ones, too, but what this man has meant to me and now my family over the past decade plus is nearly indescribable,” O’Pella posted on social media.
“In what would be his final season, when I was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo radiation and chemo, he offered his shore house if I needed to get away, and offered to pay for meal services to help my wife and me out, and he called me randomly when I had been home, too sick to come in because of chemo, just to check on me and chat about random things. That’s who he is as a person.
“I taped this guy’s ankles and thumbs every day for 13 seasons, and when he played his last game in Tampa, again I couldn’t be there due to cancer. And when he told me he would be retiring and I expressed my regret of not being the last person to ever tape him, he offered to have me tape him for his retirement press conference.
“That’s who he is. And I hope these stories can add to an already unbelievable legacy.”
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