When Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce broke Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice’s record for receptions in the playoffs Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens, it could have been a moment of profundity. Kelce could’ve contemplated his place in pro football’s pantheon, or reflected on his journey from little-used Cincinnati benchwarmer to global celebrity.
Instead, Kelce chose to think about something a little more relatable. The future Hall-of-Famer chose to ponder his relationship with Backyard Football.
Specifically, Kelce recalled Rice’s celebration in 2000s video-game staple.
“Every time Jerry [Rice] would score a touchdown [in Backyard Football], his automatic celebration was to pull out a notebook, open the notebook, and on the header it said ‘Records,'” he told brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce on Wednesday’s edition of their podcast New Heights. “I was like, ‘Why?’ I looked it up when I was older and he has all the f—ing records. That’s why they did it.”
Travis Kelce thinking about a Jerry Rice touchdown celebration animation from Backyard Football when he broke Jerry Rice’s playoff receptions record is absolutely incredible https://t.co/Eo4fCXQBvi pic.twitter.com/KHbW7oMJlm
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 31, 2024
It’s true that Rice holds a bevy of NFL receiving records—receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, you name it. Now, he holds one fewer mark thanks to a longtime fan; Kelce has 156 playoff catches to Rice’s 151.
“It’s full circle that I’m as good as Jerry Rice at Backyard Football,” Kelce said.
