A two-time Super Bowl champion is about to make his Saturday Night Live debut. NBC announced on Thursday that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will host the comedy and variety show on March 4 with musical guest Kelsea Ballerini. Kelce also shared the news while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night.
“I was a huge like [Chris] Farley, [Will] Ferrell, Fallon kind of guy growing up,” Kelce said, per ESPN. “And I used to watch Saturday Night Live with my mother. It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to be hosting SNL on March 4th. I am so nervous for that, oh my gosh.” Fallon, an SNL alum, responded, “You are going to be so good. I was talking to [SNL creator] Lorne [Michaels] today, and I’m like, ‘He’s so charming and he can sing and he’s fun.’”
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Kelce joins an exclusive club as he will be one of the few NFL players to host SNL. Some legendary players to be part of the show include Hall of Famers Fran Tarkenton, Walter Payton, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana. Kelce is known for his outgoing personality along with being one of the best players in the NFL.
In his speech during the Super Bowl victory parade this week, Kelce told the fans, “The haters were saying that the Chiefs would never make the playoffs. The haters were saying the Chiefs were done. If you knew the Chiefs were gonna win the division, let me hear you say, ‘Hell yeah,’” Kelce said, before thousands of fans shouted “Hell yeah” right back, per Fox 4 in Kanas City.
Kelce helped the Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl, catching six passes for 81 years and one touchdown in the game on Sunday. Kelce had one of the best regular seasons of his career, catching 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns. Since 2016, Kelce has caught at least 83 passes and recorded 1,000 yards per year. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl eight consecutive seasons and named to the All-Pro First Team four times. Kelce is currently second on the Chiefs’ all-time receptions and receiving touchdowns list behind Tony Gonzalez.
