A day after Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce announced his retirement, his wife, Kylie Kelce, spoke about her reaction to her husband’s speech in an exclusive interview with NBC Philadelphia.
Kylie told NBC Philadelphia she had heard her husband’s speech before he addressed the media Monday afternoon.
“I think I was the only one that had heard the speech before he went into it,” she said. “I think it was just a perfect summary of 13 years. It was an incredible run he had as a player in the NFL.”
She also said her husband had been working on the speech for years.
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"I've heard multiple versions over the last four years. This was a completely different version," she said. "I think every year he sort of started from scratch as to what was sitting on the surface. But when he said that he was contemplating retirement for years, he means for years."
Kylie had a front row seat to her husband's speech on Monday, including the portion in which he spoke about how they first met at an Eagles Christmas party.
"I still remember the moment she walked through the door. The first instance is burned in my retina. It was like she glided through the opening," her husband said. "Then she started talking and I thought, 'Man, is this what love feels like?'"
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Kylie told NBC10 the moment made her emotional but also amused her.
"It cracks me up that he tries to talk about what he remembers from that night because he was, as I've said before, intoxicated," she said. "It was very, very sweet. Very kind. It was far too much credit."
Jason Kelce's speech drew strong reactions from Eagles fans and NFL viewers in general.
"The outpouring of love and support is expected because I know who my husband is and the way he has conducted himself and how that has touched the lives of people," Kylie said. "But at the same time, it's still shocking."