Travis Kelce has opened up on his days trying to flog Obamacare in a call center, admitting he was ‘the worst f***ing telemarketer in the world.’
Three years before he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, and after being thrown off the University of Cincinnati’s football team for smoking marijuana, Kelce took a telemarketing job which involved carrying out phone surveys on Obamacare, the affordable health care law introduced by then-President Barack Obama in 2010.
And on the latest episode of his and older brother Jason’s New Heights podcast, the Chiefs legend reminisced about his pre-NFL employment.
After inviting the cast of ‘Workaholics’ onto the show – an American sitcom about three college friends who become telemarketers together – Jason told them: ‘Are you aware that there’s another telemarketer with a past in this room?’
The Philadelphia Eagles great burst out laughing before actor Anders Holm turned to Travis and asked: ‘You?’
‘As fellow telemarketers, you know that you’re reading an already pre-set [script],’ Travis said.
Travis Kelce has opened up on his former days trying to flog Obamacare as a telemarketer
‘I was the worst telemarketer in the f***ing world,’ he then admitted. ‘I was slinging surveys for Obamacare.’
Kelce previously discussed his telemarketing career in an interview with ESPN, explaining how people would yell at him about the government stealing their money while sitting in a tiny cubicle for $8 an hour.
‘All I had been doing is playing outside, playing sports my entire life,’ the tight end recalled. ‘I had never sat down and tried to earn a living like that. That’s not to hit on anybody’s 9-to-5; that’s just not for me.
‘The light at the end of the tunnel was that if I do what I’m supposed to do instead of being a knucklehead, I can have a way better life than this.’
After eventually returning to Cincinnati, Kelce went on to enjoy two phenomenal college seasons before Kansas City selected him with the 63rd overall pick in the third round of the 2013 draft. And the rest really is history.
The 36-year-old, who is widely considered the greatest NFL tight end of all time, has won three Super Bowls while smashing countless individual records over the course of 13 seasons in the league.
He has also been thrust into an even brighter limelight in recent years after finding love with pop megastar and fiancee Taylor Swift, with the pair getting engaged in August 2025.
The future Chiefs legend was still in college when he took the brief job as a telemarketer
Kelce has gone on to become arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history in Kansas City
He is also one half of one of the most famous couples on the planet with fiancee Taylor Swift
Despite his wedding plans this summer, and missing out on the playoffs in a miserable 2025 season, Kelce recently confirmed he is returning for a 14th year in the NFL with the Chiefs.
The 11-time Pro Bowler signed a shock three-year deal to remain with the team on Tuesday which if fulfilled, would see him playing until he is nearly 40.
The contract is worth $54million across three years, potentially rising up to $57.7m and was first reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
However, the deal has been set up for Kelce to retire after the 2026 season is over. His salary for the coming year is $12m, with up to $3m in bonuses.
Should he want to keep on playing beyond that, terms would almost certainly be renegotiated.
