Jason Kelce apologizes for cellphone incident at Ohio State-Penn State before Bucs-Chiefs game

Associated Press
Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 8:37 p.m. | Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 8:37 p.m.

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Retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce waits to surprise fans at an impromptu appearance at a pregame tailgate party of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns in Philadelphia.

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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 in East Rutherford, N.J.

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Retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce greets fans at an impromptu appearance at a pregame tailgate party of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 in Philadelphia.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Retired Eagles center Jason Kelce apologized during ESPN’s pregame show Monday night after grabbing the phone of an unruly fan and spiking it to the ground before the Ohio State-Penn State game last weekend.

“In a heated moment, I decided to greet hate with hate,” Kelce said before ESPN’s broadcast of the Buccaneers-Chiefs game featuring his brother, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce. “I fell short this week.”

Jason Kelce was attending the Big Ten matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in State College, Pennsylvania, when the incident occurred. Video on social media showed him walking through a crowd near Beaver Stadium and fans asking for photos and fist bumps when one fan began to heckle him.

At that point, Kelce grabbed the fan’s phone and threw it to the ground, then turned to confront the man dressed in Penn State attire. Another fan appeared to step between them before the altercation could escalate.

“I think everybody has seen on social media what happened this week,” Kelce said on the ESPN broadcast. “Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it. In a heated moment I chose to greet hate with hate and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t. I don’t think it leads to discourse and it’s the right way to go about things. In that moment I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have.

Jason Kelce addressed the Penn State phone-smashing incident at the start of ESPN's pregame show tonight and apologized:

"In a heated moment, I decided to greet hate with hate. … I fell short this week" pic.twitter.com/884LtqvFzX

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 4, 2024

“The bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rule, that’s what I’ve always been taught,” he said. “I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I’m going to keep doing that moving forward.”

Meanwhile, a Penn State police spokesperson said Monday the department is investigating the incident.

The department’s crime log listed criminal mischief and disorderly conduct as potential violations. Both crimes can be filed as summary citations or misdemeanors, while criminal mischief may also be charged as a felony if the loss amounts to more than $5,000.

It was not immediately clear who, if anyone, reported the incident to police. The crime log said an officer observed a “visitor damaging personal property” at the intersection of Curtin Road and Commuter Drive.

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Centre Daily Times contributed to this article.