FILE - Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce prepares for his ESPN debut as a Monday Night Football Analyst before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bill and the New York Jets, Oct. 14, 2024 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis, File)
November 05, 2024 - 12:43 PM
Penn State University police are investigating an altercation between retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and a fan over a cellphone that occurred over the weekend before the game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State.
The police department's incident log includes an entry registered Saturday in which an “officer observed a visitor damaging personal property.”
PSU public information officer Jacqueline Sheader confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the incident involved Kelce and said that the process is ongoing. The report listed the potential offenses as criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
Video on social media showed Kelce walking through a crowd near Beaver Stadium and fans asking for photos and fist bumps when one fan began to heckle Kelce and appeared to shout an anti-gay slur about his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, for dating pop star Taylor Swift.
At that point, video showed Kelce grabbing the fan’s phone and throwing it to the ground, then turning to confront the man dressed in Penn State attire. Kelce appeared to use the same anti-gay slur during the exchange before another fan stepped between them before the altercation could escalate.
Kelce apologized during ESPN’s pregame show Monday night.
“In a heated moment, I decided to greet hate with hate,” Kelce said before ESPN’s broadcast of the Buccaneers-Chiefs game. “I fell short this week.”
Kelce added he's “not proud” of the interaction with the fan, saying he “fell down to a level that I shouldn't have."
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