Haverford Township, Pennsylvania (CBS) – Now that Jason Kelce, the popular Philadelphia Eagles center, has officially retired, first responders in his hometown are reflecting on what his 13-year career means to them.
Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola stated that his department maintains a close relationship with the Kelce family. He stated he was not surprised by Kelce’s announcement.
“I kind of expected it, but you’re losing a Philadelphia Eagles icon,” Viola was quoted as saying. “He’s an icon in the city. He is a typical man. “Just a part of the fabric of Philadelphia.”
He first met Kelce in the summer of 2023, when Kelce and his wife Kylie donated $10,000 to help police acquire a new K9,Winnie.
“We wanted to thank him personally — both of them — for the big donation they did for us,” Viola said.
Viola said Kelce is an all-around great guy who happens to live in Haverford Township. Kelce even lets the SWAT team use an old house on his property for training. The house is in the process of being demolished.
“It’s a big, almost like a bunker,” Viola said. “It’s kind of concrete and stucco, so there’s a lot of room where we could train outside and inside.”
Viola is also the chief of the Brookline Volunteer Fire Company. On Sunday, he helped Kelce stay safe while Kelce jumped off a fire truck onto a burning table for his podcast, “New Heights.”
“It was exhilarating,” Kelce stated on the podcast.
Viola claimed he received a call from Kelce’s wife on Saturday night to discuss the idea.
“When I spoke with his wife, I said, ‘First and foremost, are you crazy? And second, does he want to terminate his football career prematurely? “Not knowing he was going to retire like two days later,” Viola explained.
Viola said he’s looking forward to watching what Kelce does next.
“I’m sure he’ll find something within the community or within the Eagles organization,” she said. “He’s here to stay and we’re happy that he’s here and he’s part of our community.”
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