'Business of Hope' is What Drives Jason Kelce

The Eagles All-Pro center got emotional Wednesday discussing Lane Johnson and his Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination

PHILADELPHIA - The “business of hope” did what foot, ankle, and knee injuries haven’t been able to do to Jason Kelce this season.

It stopped the All-Pro center in his tracks, at least for a bit before the Eagles’ Wednesday walkthrough practice.

Asked about being the Eagles’ nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Kelce got emotional when he got to Lane Johnson while talking about a number of his teammates and the charitable contributions they participate in around the Delaware Valley.

“Lane Johnson and what he’s openly come back from this year and to think … about the amount of people that he’s given hope to,” Kelce said as he tried to keep his composure. “And that’s the business we’re in … We’re in the business of hope.

“... What we do every day, what we do every game inspires millions of people. What we do off the field, hopefully, inspires people. And I think that is something that I’m very proud to be one guy, a part of thousands of men who do that.”

Earlier this season, Johnson missed three games while dealing with anxiety and depression issues he kept hidden from the public for years.

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Since returning, Johnson has been vocal about his withdrawal from antidepressant medication and how it affected him while advocating for mental health, in some ways becoming a life preserver for many struggling with similar issues but don’t have the support system Johnson has with the Eagles and the NFL.

“Lane overcoming the things that he was dealing with earlier this year and being able to push forward and get back and play at the level he has and be the teammate he has and the person he has been, that’s a really impressive thing to do,” Kelce said. “I think when you deal with something every single day, it’s clearly affecting him and it’s a much bigger thing than football.

“You watch that happen and you see a guy overcome that and a guy that you really care about. A guy you really care about overcome something like that, it’s incredibly gratifying to watch.”

So gratifying, it visibly moved the Eagles’ resident tough guy.

“To know that, that’s something millions of people across the U.S. struggle with, that millions of people across the U.S. take medication for or whatever, to see a guy on a grand stage be able to come back and to, one, seek help. But, two, get back and move forward and move on,” he said.

At 34 with a month to go in his 11th NFL season, Kelce has admitted he’s taking things year-by-year at this point but he’s still compartmentalizing.

“Right now, all I’m thinking about is Washington [this weekend],” Kelce said. “I think that certainly, a big reason why I’m still playing the game is being a part of the culture in the locker room and being around guys that are like-minded and aspirational and competing at their craft at the top of the world.

“That’s a hard environment to replicate. I know that’ll eventually (it will end) and that’s a unique thing to have that experience in my life.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.