Travis Kelce's Dad Met Taylor Swift and Was a Real Dad About It

"You know...like a real idiot!"

Taylor Swift and Ed Kelce
(Image credit: Getty Images)

What is it about dads that make them so universally Dad? From an anthropological, sociological, and pedagogical standpoint, there's something so uniquely consistent about their whole deal: the way they walk, dress, assume, and joke. Their knowledge pool is so specific. To say nothing of how delightfully clueless they can sometimes be—which is exactly what happened with Travis Kelce's dad, Ed, when he first met Taylor Swift.

The father of NFL's golden brothers du jour had his first-ever run-in with his son's pop star girlfriend at Travis' house after a home game. During a conversation with a local Cleveland radio station, 92.3 The Fan, the elder Kelce explained why and how he didn't recognize Swift when she stopped by Travis' house.

"At any given home game, you can end up with 20 people, from my perspective, 20 you people I haven't seen [at Travis' house that] I probably have met but cannot for the life of me picture, remember who they are," Kelce explained. (Apparently, before home games, Travis Kelce has friends over to his house who are then driven to the stadium.)

"And Taylor comes in, walks in with a security guard, and I look at her and I had my girlfriend with me, and I mention to Maureen, 'Oh my god, I know this kid but I don't know what her name is...geez....you know...like a real idiot.'

To which Maureen replied, "You don't know her? That's Taylor Swift, you idiot!"

That's right, Ed Kelce did not recognize the most popular pop star in the world when she walked through the front door. Thankfully, everyone seems to have learned each other's names by now.

Oh, Papa Kelce, you sweet, darling, innocent man. Never change, and never stop being a Dad. Because it is up to the dads of the world to show the future dads what it means to truly be a Dad, no matter how famous your children and their girlfriends are.

Alicia Lutes
Freelance Writer

Alicia Lutes is a freelance writer, essayist, journalist, humorist, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She has written extensively on culture, entertainment, the craft of comedy, and mental health. Her work has been featured in places such as Vulture, Playboy, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Rotten Tomatoes, Bustle, Longreads, and more. She was also the creator/former host of the web series Fangirling, and currently fosters every single dog she can.