Jason Kelce recruited by rugby star Ilona Maher as the US Olympic women's team's super fan
Recently retired Philadelphia Eagles lineman Jason Kelce and wife Kylie watch the women's field hockey match between the Argentina and United States, at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Colombes, France. Credit: AP/Anjum Naveed
SAINT-DENIS, France — Jason Kelce went along to watch the U.S. women's rugby sevens team at the Olympics in Paris and walked away as an honorary super fan.
The recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center and his wife, Kylie, met with rugby's social media celebrity Ilona Maher and the U.S. women's sevens team after their opening two games at Stade de France.
The NFL veteran, wearing a very French-looking beret and a blue, skin-tight U.S. rugby shirt, got into an arm wrestle with squad member Nicole Heavirland, shared on Instagram, and joined Maher for a quick recruiting post.
Maher introduced the idea of Kelce becoming an official super fan and told him he'd get no money or benefits, but all he had to do was say the words and the job was his.
It was a sales pitch he couldn't resist.
“I am officially a fan. Women’s rugby, Olympics," Kelce said in the video posted to Maher's Instagram.
The Kelces also attended a women’s field hockey match between the U.S. and Argentina on Saturday on a busy weekend at the Paris Games.
United States' Ilona Maher celebrates after scoring a try during the women's Pool C Rugby Sevens match between France and the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, France, Monday, July 29, 2024. Credit: AP/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi
The U.S. women won their two matches Sunday against Japan and Brazil before catching up with the Kelces, but had a tough 31-14 loss to host France on Monday afternoon ahead of their night quarterfinal against Britain.
Maher, who scored an early try against France, said she'd connected with Kylie Kelce before and “so to have her and to bring Jason along with her, I was really excited to see her.”
“It’s really cool because Kylie and I have chatted before. She’s a really cool woman and she does a lot for women’s sports,” Maher said. Having Jason was a bonus "but you know ... he’s a girl dad. He's somebody who supports women’s sports.
“So for him to be supporting us was really cool.”
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