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When it comes to Super Bowl traditions, some athletes swear by lucky socks, pregame rituals, or the perfect playlist. For Travis Kelce, it all comes down to one thing — his mom’s chocolate chip cookies.
The 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end was asked if Donna Kelce would be making her “famous” treats ahead of the Super Bowl this upcoming Sunday, and he didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, you know it, you know it,” Travis told reporters during a press conference per People on Thursday, February 6. “Never played a Super Bowl without them.”
Chris Delmas/Getty Images
Donna’s cookies have been a staple in the Kelce household for years, but they hit legendary status during Super Bowl LVII in 2023. That year, when Travis and his older brother, Jason Kelce, faced off in the big game, she handed each son a Tupperware full of homemade cookies during an interview with NFL Network’s Michael Irvin.
“You’re probably cooking these cookies forever for these guys, that’s probably what got them big and ready for the NFL,” Irvin, 58, quipped at the time.
The tradition lives on for Super Bowl LIX, but this time, the mom of two only needs to bake for one. Jason, 37, won’t be suiting up — he officially hung up his cleats last year.
After 13 seasons with the Eagles, the former center decided it was time to step away from the game, explaining that the physical toll had caught up with him. “The reality was, it was more firm than it’s ever been this year that I just don’t think physically, I can compete at the level I want to anymore,” he told Travis on New Heights in March 2024.
“My elbow, a little of my knees, it’s just gotten to the point where the deterioration and the recovery from that deterioration hasn’t really manifested on game day yet, but I know it’s going to start doing that,” the retired football star admitted. “I feel very confident in the decision that I made. I know that it’s time. I had a really good run.”
Catch Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.
