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When Jason Kelce delivered his NFL retirement speech, he made a subtle yet special gesture in honor of his longtime athletic trainer.
On March 4, Kelce officially retired from the NFL with an emotional speech reflecting on his 13-year career as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles. Beneath the table, the athlete’s ankles appeared to be taped.
In a post to his Instagram, Eagles associate athletic trainer Joe O’Pella explained why Kelce wore tape for his retirement announcement— something typically reserved for time on the field.
O’Pella’s post included eight photos featuring him with Kelce throughout the years.
According to the trainer, applying tape to Kelce’s ankles became a regular part of their routine soon after the footballer tore his knee during his second year in the NFL. O’Pella went on to add that the trainer’s recent cancer diagnosis led to him undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments, preventing him from wrapping Kelce’s ankles for his final game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I expressed my regret of not being the last person to ever tape him, and he offered to have me tape him for his retirement press conference. That’s who he is,” his caption continued. “And I hope these stories can add to an already unbelievable legacy.
Kelce touched on the gesture and his relationship with O’Pella during the March 6 episode of his podcast, “New Heights,” which he co-hosts with his brother, Travis Kelce.
“He’s been there my entire career, too,” Kelce said of O’Pella, noting that the trainer is currently in remission.
“He’s looking good,” Kelce continued. “But he wasn’t able to tape me for any of the games this year. He’s taped my ankles my whole career. So he taped my ankles for the press conference one last time. So I had ankle tape on with sandals.”
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