When he's not on the field with Chiefs quarterback and certified bestie Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce is making the rounds in the entertainment space.
From his acting debut in FX's "Grotesquerie" to joining pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift on stage at the Eras Tour, the tight end is certainly setting himself up for life after the NFL.
One of these escapades is Kelce's popular podcast "New Heights," which he co-hosts with his brother and retired Eagles offensive lineman, Jason.
Wednesday's nearly two-hour episode saw the pair discuss Travis' new show, Kansas City's recent win over the Chargers and a bet the younger brother made with Mahomes. In the very first segment of the show, Travis popped off camera and re-entered the frame wearing the head of none other than Raider Red, Texas Tech's coveted public relations mascot and the 2012 Mascot of the Year.
Here's everything to know about Travis' bet with Mahomes, including why the Chiefs star wore a stinky Texas Tech mascot head on "New Heights."
NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule
Kelce-Mahomes mascot head bet, explained
At the start of the 103rd edition of the podcast, titled "Travis Makes Chiefs History, Jason’s War on Stats, and Settling a Bet with Patrick Mahomes," Travis asks Jason: "Do you want me to just do it? Just come on screen with it?"
The "it" he was referring to happened to be the decapitated head of Raider Red, complete with the mascot's signature orange mustache and white cowboy hat.
"Oh my god," Jason exclaimed. "Honestly, there's not that big of a difference — it kind of looks like the same person. Now that's a big red mustache right there, Andy [Reid] would be proud," he continued, referring to the Chiefs coach's similar handlebar style.
"I might as well tell you guys why I even have this mascot head on and where it comes from," Travis said to the audience. "It comes from good 'ole Lubbock, Texas. That's right — the Texas Tech Red Raiders beat up on our Cincinnati Bearcats over the weekend, and me and Pat had a fun little wager that we came up with."
We’ve got a great show, but first Trav had to settle a bet with @PatrickMahomes
— New Heights (@newheightshow) October 2, 2024
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW: https://t.co/dVgn2DadOY pic.twitter.com/bBK7pZQlJA
He goes on to explain that if Cincinnati won, Mahomes would have worn the Bearcat head at his weekly press conference. Unfortunately for him, that didn't happen thanks to a bold fourth-quarter comeback by the Red Raiders, who beat Cincinnati 44-41 at home.
"As you can see, the Bearcats lost because I'm sitting here looking like an idiot, wearing this Red Raiders mascot head!" he said, to which Jason replied, "I'll let you know right now you don't look like an idiot at all."
"Jason, it's just who I am," Travis continued before Jason pointed out his resemblance to "Looney Tunes" character Yosemite Sam.
"I feel like you just gotta own it," Travis finished.
WEEK 5 FANTASY RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Where did Patrick Mahomes go to college?
Mahomes spent his collegiate career at Texas Tech, beginning his freshman year as a member of both the football and baseball teams. In his junior year, he shifted his focus solely on the gridiron and led all NCAA DI FBS players in passing yards (5,052), total touchdowns (53) and several other categories.
He was the Sammy Baugh Trophy recipient in 2016, awarded to the nation's top collegiate passer, before the Chiefs drafted him 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Mahomes left Lubbock after his junior season and ended his career etched into school record books. He finished at Texas Tech third in passing yards (11,252), touchdown passes (93) and completions (857) among other accolades.
MORE: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings | Week 5 NFL picks | Week 5 NFL picks against the spread
Where did Travis Kelce go to college?
Kelce attended Cincinnati, joining his brother there in 2008. After redshirting his freshman season, the tight end played his second year before he was suspended the following campaign for testing positive for marijuana.
He returned for the 2011 season but broke out his final year on the team, setting the school record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season in his last game.
Kelce was picked in the third round by Kansas City in the 2013 NFL Draft, just after the team hired longtime coach Reid. That summer, Kelce signed a four-year, $3.12 million rookie contract, and the rest is history.
