Retired NFL Star Jason Kelce Speaks On His WrestleMania XL Appearance

Kelce spoke to Rich Eisen about his surprise appearance at WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia.

Jason Kelce / Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Jason Kelce, the greatest honorary Philadelphian to ever walk the face of this Earth, commented on his WWE appearance earlier this year.

Kelce, the retired center for the Philadelphia Eagles, appeared at WrestleMania XL with offensive tackle Lane Johnson, assisting Rey Mysterio and Andrade in their win over Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio on Night 1.

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In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Kelce spoke learning the basics of wrestling prior to the surprise cameo.

"WrestleMania was a thing, but we never watched it, and I didn't really know what to expect. It got announced it was coming to Philly and that they wanted Lane and I to be a part of it. I started to get acclimated to what this event is and how big of a deal it is to the wrestling community. Then Lane and I went to a couple wrestling gyms in South Jersey. We were literally doing moves and bumps. I learned how to bump; I learned how to clothesline. I learned how to get slapped in the chest and not act like it hurt, because it actually does hurt. It's like a massive slap to the chest."

- Jason Kelce

Prior to the appearance, Kelce and Johnson were spotted training at the Monster Factory, a South Jersey wrestling school owned and operated by Danny Cage. Kelce told Eisen that the mat “ain’t soft” and that, after his experience in the ring, he has an entirely new perspective about how the Superstars move and perform in the ring.

"It was a blast. It was a ton of fun. Everybody made it a lot of fun. Again, a lot of people say wrestling's fake or whatever, and it's like well, so is the TV show you're watching. But you can still have a level of respect for the amazing physical specimens that are doing outrageous things in front of you at speed. It might be choreographed a bit, but it's still nonetheless very impressive."

- Jason Kelce

Kelce retired from the NFL in 2023 after 12 years with the Eagles, having been selected for the Pro Bowl seven times and in the first-team All Pro six times, as well as assisting in the 2018 Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, 41-33. Kelce is currently part of the pregame crew for ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” and hosts the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce

Rey Mysterio [L] and Jason Kelce [R] / Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images

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