NFL legend Jason Kelce has admitted he was wrong when he called Welsh people “rich, upper class people”.
After Louis Rees-Zammit left Welsh rugby to join the NFL, his new Kansas City Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce admitted he still has a long way to go to reach the elite level.
3
Kelce was talking to his brother Jason, who forged an incredible career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he called Welsh “classy.”
The Super Bowl LII champion was quoted as saying, “When I think of the Welsh, I think the British call it ‘posh.’ I think of these rich, upper class, just nice white people.
“He (Rees-Zammit) is the common stereotype of what I would think of a Welshman. I don’t know if it’s an accurate stereotype but it’s certainly what I think of and he helps continue that trend in my spirit.
“I can’t wait to see what this guy does. I know it’s going to be a learning curve, but I hope this guy takes the world by storm.
“It’ll be electric. With a smile like that, this guy…if he practices, he’ll be the most marketable player ever.”
However, after being called out on social media, Kelce has since retracted his comments.
He wrote to a fan: “Yes I get it, I was really wrong about that.
“Based on further evaluation since these incorrect statements, I don’t know why I had these preconceptions in mind, but I have discovered that the Welsh are exactly like my kind of people. Happy to be incredibly wrong .”
3
3
As an Eagles legend who spent his entire 13-year career with the team from 2011 to 2023, Kelce may have had some experience with Welsh culture, with Philadelphia having adopted much of the nation’s history British.
Several towns are named after Welsh places, including Bala Cynwyd, Berwyn, Bryn Athn, Bryn Mawr and Gwynedd.
They originated in the Welsh Tract, where a group of Welsh-speaking Quakers settled in the late 17th century in the province of Pennsylvania, eventually settling in an area west of Philadelphia.
As such, the city of Philadelphia retains many Welsh traditions and names, with even Kelce giving his daughter the middle name Llewelyn, a common first name in Wales.
As for Rees-Zammit, the 23-year-old still has a long way to go before making a name for himself in the NFL after leaving his rugby superstar status behind.
The former Wales winger decided to quit the sport earlier this year on the eve of the Six Nations and has since joined the Chiefs, who won this year’s Super Bowl.
Sports
