SAO PAULO (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end and three-time Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce made teammate Patrick Mahomes and reporters laugh on Thursday when asked what has changed in his life since announcing his engagement to pop superstar Taylor Swift last week.
“I got one more ring for it,” Kelce said at a news conference in Sao Paulo ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. “I would say ever since I've been dating Taylor, life has been fun.”
“I love when the lights are bright,” Kelce added, without mentioning whether Swift is going to make an appearance at NeoQuimica Arena for the game.
Neither the NFL nor Corinthians, the soccer club that owns the stadium, have confirmed the superstar will be in attendance. Several Brazilian media outlets have reported that local TV stations are preparing for that possibility.
Kelce said he is already used to having “a lot more eyes” on what he does because of his fiancee and said he now understands what it is to “live life on a high.”
Mahomes chimed in: “It is a dream, dude.”
Earlier, coach Andy Reid said the off-the-field attention hasn't changed Kelce as a player, and praised the veteran tight end's efforts to prepare for the season.
“He is working very hard this training camp, and in the offseason, and I know he looks forward to getting started,” Reid said after the Chiefs' practice session at a club in Sao Paulo's south end. “(Kelce) is in a good, good place.”
Kelce and Swift were seen in public for the first time since announcing their engagement last week when they attended a college football game between Nebraska and Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium. The 35-year-old played for the Bearcats.
Kelce added that he was enthusiastic about playing an international game, despite the 12-hour flight to Sao Paulo. He, Mahomes and other Chiefs players said they felt the excitement of local fans when they arrived at the airport.
“We are trying to take this game worldwide,” he said. “We have a good following here. That matters, too.”
Reid also said the Chiefs and the Chargers feel “privileged to be an ambassador of sorts” for the sport in Brazil, which is hosting its second ever NFL game.
"The fans were unbelievable at the airport. They were all decked out in red and yellow. We know it’s going to be wild tomorrow night. We appreciate the interest," he said.
Kelce also recognized the local fans while doing a quick impersonation of Mahomes during the news conference.
“Ah, man, it was crazy. It was a lot of fun seeing all the fans there,” Kelce said while imitating Mahomes' voice. “He had that one coming for telling everyone I didn't know where Brazil was on a map.”
Last year, the Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers in the same stadium in Sao Paulo at the start of a campaign that eventually took Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory against the Chiefs.
Draft update
Reid said offensive tackle Josh Simmons, who was picked No. 32 overall in this year’s draft, will be “stepping up and rising to that challenge” during his NFL debut Friday after recovering from an injury.
“It is a tough deal, but he’s worked very hard at solidifying that position and making sure he has an opportunity to play," Reid said. “He has the honor of going against some good defensive ends this week."
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press
