Travis Kelce admits he was a ‘shy kid’ growing up before finding confidence through sports – despite always being ‘at ease’ in front of a camera – as Chiefs star works out in practice before Super Bowl LVIII: ‘I let my personality show’

Kelce is one of the most marketable sports stars on the planet right now
But the Chiefs tight end says it initially took him a while to come out of his shell

Believe it or not, but Travis Kelce hasn’t always exuded the kind of confidence which makes him one of the most marketable athletes on the planet.

Just over a week out from his second straight Super Bowl appearance with the Kansas City Chiefs, Kelce opened up on his more timid early years as a child and how sports slowly helped him to come out of his shell.

The Chiefs star, whose high-profile romance with Taylor Swift has propelled him to superstardom in recent months, is now a global celebrity as well as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, meaning he features on what seems to be a never-ending list of TV commercials these days.

He has also set up a successful podcast with Eagles-star brother Jason, New Heights, which is watched by millions almost a year-and-a-half after launching.

Yet incredibly, Travis has not always been the larger-than-life extrovert he is known as today, with the future NFL icon a ‘shy kid’ before sports helped him show his true personality.

‘Sports for me was where I built my confidence,’ he said at a press conference on Friday. ‘You probably won’t believe me, but I was a shy kid growing up until I got onto the sports field, or the court or the ice rink. Then I kind of let my personality show.

‘I was having fun. I was having success. And that’s just kind of propelled me to have confidence in life.’

Nobody seems to have more fun when the Chiefs are winning than Kelce.

As usual, the 34-year-old commandeered the microphone after last weekend’s Conference Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens, which booked their place in a second consecutive Super Bowl.

Kelce could be heard barking out his now-too-familiar Beastie Boys victory cry: ‘You gotta fight for your right to party!’

Asked how he became so comfortable with a microphone in his hand, he replied: ‘My mom’s home videos, man.’

“Having that camera on me at all times, seeing what silly stuff I’m going to do next,” Kelce continued.

‘Honestly, I’ve always been comfortable in the rooms I’ve been in, and just fortunate that – I don’t know, I’ve kind of been able to look into a camera with ease, I guess. I don’t know. It’s just having fun out there.’

Kelce was speaking as his team ramps up the preparations for the Super Bowl on February 11 against San Francisco 49ers.

He reflected on last week’s emotional scenes where his family and girlfriend Swift celebrated with him on the field in Baltimore after beating the Ravens to reach another Super Bowl.

‘It’s another memory in the journey we get to cherish, man’ Kelce said. ‘I’m fortunate that I have all the support I need off the field and it gives me a reason to play that much harder, the people you just mentioned.’

Swift was on the field alongside his parents, Donna and Ed, and his older brother Jason as they celebrated the Chiefs winning the AFC Championship with a sensational display against the Ravens – favorites with many to beat the Chiefs and go on to win the Super Bowl.