Jason Kelce apologizes for his role in the incident involving Heckler's homophobic slur

Jason Kelce for his part apologized for one incident in which he was involved over the weekend with an unruly fan.

The former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro was in Pennsylvania on Saturday when he appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” prior to the game. Ohio State vs. Penn State matchup. Images from social media showed Kelce walking through a crowd near Beaver Stadium as several people asked for selfies and acknowledged him. However, one person in a Penn State hoodie threw anti-LGTBQ insults at Kelce about his brother, Travis Kelce is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Hey Kelce! How does it feel that your brother is a (expletive) for dating Taylor Swift?” the person shouted.

Kelce turned around, grabbed the fan’s phone and poked him in the ground before picking up the phone and moving on. Another video shared on social media showed the fan chasing Kelce and saying, “Give me my phone.” Kelce then responded, “Who is the (expletive) now?”

Former NFL player Jason Kelce prior to a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Jason Kelce: ‘Not proud’ of incident

Now an analyst on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” Kelce apologized for his role in the incident prior to Monday night’s Chiefs-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

“Everyone has seen on social media everything that has happened this week,” Kelce said. “Listen, I’m not happy with what happened. I’m not proud of it. In a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing.

“At that point I fell to a level I shouldn’t have.”

Jason Kelce opens “Monday Night Countdown” with an apology.

“I’ve chosen to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing.” pic.twitter.com/9rScqAKpVD

— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2024

Kelce added that he tries to live his life by treating people with decency and respect, and that he “didn’t live up to his expectations.”

The Super Bowl 52 champion is in Kansas City for ESPN’s coverage of the game, including his brother, who is dating pop icon Swift.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Kelce apologizes for his response to Heckler’s homophobic comments