It’s been two months since Jason Kelce announced that he was retiring from the NFL after serving as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles for thirteen years. Now, Kelce is stepping up to give some advice to the new Eagles’ center rookie Dylan McMahon, who spoke out on Friday to reveal what the iconic NFL star had to say to him.
Kelce’s Advice For McMahon
Physically, Kelce and McMahon have a lot in common. When Kelce was drafted by the Eagles as a sixth round pick back in 2011, he was 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, and by the time he retired, he managed to bulk up to 299 pounds, which is the exact size that McMahon is at now.
Since this is considered small for a center, Kelce reached out to McMahon to offer some advice to his fellow “undersized center.”
“First he looked at me and said, ‘Undersized center? We have that in common,'” McMahon said, according to CBS Sports. “[We] just talked a little bit about football and the guys I’ll be facing regularly in our division.”
“He just said, ‘Make sure you’re staying in the weight room and putting good weight on you. With the frame of your body, there are good places to put weight and good places to add muscle,'” he continued.
Watch Kelce talk more about this in the video below.
Related: Jason Kelce Set To Join ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown’ After Retiring From The Eagles
Kelce And McMahon’s Other Similarities
This is just one of many similarities that Kelce and McMahon have with one another. Thirteen years ago, Kelce was chosen by the Eagles as pick number 191 in the sixth round. This year, McMahon was picked one pick earlier at number 190 in the same round.
Initially seen as an afterthought pick, Kelce began turning heads with a stellar performance at training camp. He would even snag a starting center role in Week 1 of his rookie season. Throughout the next thirteen years, Kelce would become one of the greatest centers in NFL history, playing a crucial role in the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory.
The success of someone like Kelce is something that McMahon would like to emulate. It gives him hope for a similar rookie season with the Eagles.
“There are plenty of those stories … so you know that it’s possible,” McMahon said. “You just have to keep your head down, work hard and really buy into what [Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] is doing here.”
Related: Jason Kelce Lost His Super Bowl Ring In The Most Jason Kelce Way Possible
McMahon Appreciates Kelce’s Advice
The Eagles general manager Howie Roseman stepped up to make sure that Kelce and McMahon would meet. Roseman made it clear that the team is hoping that the younger player will be able to replicate his seasoned predecessor’s success.
McMahon is eager for any piece of advice that Kelce can give him, he’s not hot-shot. He views Kelce with respect as the true legend that he is.
“He’s the best center to ever do it,” McMahon concluded. “Just to meet him and have him around this building to be able to pick his brain once in a while is just an amazing experience.”
Many Eagles fans were devastated when Kelce announced his retirement back in March. But it’s clear that he plans to live on in the sport through helping younger players like McMahon. Only time will tell if McMahon is actually able to replicate some of Kelce’s success!