Travis Kelce always knew Geno Smith would be something in the NFL, though the quarterback took his time coming to the fore.
Smith has been in the league since 2014 but only broke out this year, having thrown for 3,433 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions for the Seattle Seahawks this season.
A second-round pick by the New York Jets eight years ago, Smith landed the starting job after starring at the University of West Virginia. However, he would struggle over the course of his first two terms as a pro and lost his spot, functioning as a backup for New York before becoming a league journeyman.
He ended up in Seattle, where he played understudy to Russell Wilson in 2020 and 2021 but got his chance to be the main man on the back of Wilson’s trade to the Denver Broncos. Wilson is having a regrettable campaign in Denver, but Smith has been thriving in Seattle.
Travis Kelce Knew All Along
While it appears the quarterback has come out of left field, Kelce claims he knew all along.
Speaking on his New Heights podcast alongside his brother Jason, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end recalled attending a 7-on-7 camp at West Virginia University with the aim of earning a scholarship. He would meet Smith there and was amazed at how well he threw a football.
“I just remember seeing him throw the ball and I was just sitting on the sideline like ‘man, I ain’t got that,’” Kelce said. “I could throw it a little bit but that ball ain’t flying out of my hand like that.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Kelce is a shoo-in for the football Hall of Fame. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team in 2010 and has made seven Pro Bowls. The TE holds the record for the most 1,000-yard seasons by a player in his position (seven) and is very likely to take that number to eight in 2022/23. But Kelce actually started out as a QB.
That’s right; the 33-year-old played as a signal caller at Cleveland Heights and was planning to do so in college… until he saw what Geno Smith could do at that camp.
Kelce says he did not get that scholarship but Smith did. He’s done alright for himself, while Smith is finally making good on that potential he showed.
