KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Smith played alongside hundreds, if not thousands, of his teammates during his 14-year career as an NFL quarterback. He said there was no one like Travis Kelce.

"If I had to make a team out of teammates that I remember and will always remember, Travis is definitely No. 1 on the roster," said Smith, who retired in 2020. "He's in the crowd. Special. Lavis is a person who makes you always feel better every time you interact with someone you like.

"There's not a lot of teammates you can say that about. Some relationships are so unique. Some people are so charismatic that you just love being around them, and Travis is one of those."

Smith isn't the only teammate who feels this way about the 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Others describe him as what most people expected him to be - a bold, larger-than-life personality.

"Every time we walked on the field, he would give us a pep talk, (like), 'Let's go, kids, let's go,'" said linebacker Leo Chenauer, now a Chiefs ’s third season. "Every time someone hit the ball, he would make a point of calling him out, or standing aside after the game: 'That's great, that's great. Keep it up, keep it up.'"

“He’s very personable, but he’s also a great leader.”

Fans can most clearly feel Kelce's emotional, boisterous side when he scores a touchdown or plays a crucial field goal. A 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro selection, Kelce is sure to go down as one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He ranks third among players in his class in career receptions (1,004) and yards (12,151). He also finished the passing game in the divisional round against the Houston Texans, hauling in seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown to help the Chiefs advance to their third straight game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Seven-time AFC Champions League (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

But that’s one aspect of Kelce. There is another side that only people in football can see. Kelce was quick to console the man who lost the ball. If his teammates were late, he would stay and wait for them. He's one of the first to welcome new players, just as he texted rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia after the Chiefs drafted him in the second round last April. Don't know him. If he saw someone struggling on or off the field, he would put his arm around their shoulders.

"I've always thought sports were the ultimate way to hang out with friends," Kelce said, adding that he has close friends on all sports teams dating back to when he was a kid. "So I just want to make sure I have energy every day. I love coming out here and having a good time."

the night before The Chiefs stay at a local hotel for every home game. Players must arrive within the stipulated time or they will be fined.

But the night before the game, when then-Chiefs running back Chakandrick West was stuck in traffic and couldn't make it on time, he called Kelce. The tight end was already at the hotel and told him to get there as soon as possible.

When West finally arrived, a few minutes late, there was a man waiting for him out front: Kelce.

“He didn’t want me to be the only one who got in trouble for being late,” said West, who played for the Chiefs from 2014-2018.

He said the Chiefs did not fine him for being late, adding, "I think if you're going to be late, you want to be late with Trave."

Kelce couldn't remember if he was fined for being late with West, saying, "I've been fined so many times for stuff that I can't even remember what it was for."

As for waiting for West on the outside, Kelce said it's part of being a good teammate.

"Sometimes, you just need someone to be there for you, even if you feel like you're doing something wrong," Kelce said.

Early in his career, Kelce fumbled a late fumble against the Arizona Cardinals that cost the Chiefs a chance to win. At the time, the Chiefs were pushing for a tie or win, but ended up losing by three points.

Kelce remembered the feeling of loneliness afterwards. So when West, making his NFL debut in 2015, fumbled a fumble in a similar situation against the Minnesota Vikings, Kelce found him upon his return to Kansas City.

“We sat down and talked,” West said. "I told him, 'I lost the game for us.' I was really upset about it, but he wouldn't let me get upset, and he told me it happens to everyone, and he told me I was going to help The Chiefs win a lot of games.”

The next week, West had his first 100-yard game and scored his first touchdown. The Chiefs won the first of 11 straight games, and West continued to lead them in rushing that season.

“He was a huge morale booster for me,” West said. "He made sure I didn't lose faith in myself. I don't know what would have happened without Travis."

Those who have People who played with Kells found it difficult to describe exactly what it was like.

"Let's see if I can do it justice," said Smith, who played five seasons with Kelce on the Chiefs before being traded to Washington in 2018.

“Travis’ problems are always little things,” Smith said. "The banter, the jokes, the smiles. But it's also true. I know people can boil football down to being a boys' game, and that's what it is. But when you get to the NFL, it's hard. There's a lot of pressure. It's hard to find the game without These pressures affected people, and that was the kind of person he was, and he helped everyone around him.

"He always felt comfortable with himself. As a teammate, it was great because he made other people feel comfortable. He loved coming to work and it was contagious."

Smith said fans might see Kelce flying to a Taylor Swift concert or other event, but they won't see the time he puts into football.

He pointed to coach Andy Reid giving Kelce the freedom to improvise routes based on what he saw out of coverage. The most famous example occurred during a 13-second sequence late in the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game against the Bills three years ago, when Kelce changed his route in coverage and found the seam for a 25-yard gain. It laid the foundation for the team. Draw shot.

The Chiefs won in overtime on Kelce's touchdown catch.

"Probably in history, you can't find a tight end who gave him more route control than Andy did," Smith said. "He empowered Travis to do this, but he deserves it. He studied and put in the time and he earned it. Look how crafty he has been. That only comes with preparation and work. He Some of the things he does look like back yard, rest-type stuff, but it’s not and what makes Travis the player he is is he understands all the nuances.”

Linebacker Drue Tranquill, who will join the Chiefs in 2023, said he had never faced a player like Kelce in his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Kelce often asks him on the practice field about coverage and what he might be seeing that causes him to defend a certain route a certain way.

"There are little details about the game that still pique his curiosity," Tranquill said.

Smith was replaced at quarterback by Patrick Mahomes, who played one season as a rookie in 2017. Kelce and Mahomes were already close when the Chiefs traded Smith. But Kelce was devastated when Smith was traded.

"I want to win (a Super Bowl) for Alex," Kelce said. "He was a leader to me and showed me how to do it the right way. I want to go out and get one for him, or at least keep fighting for him. I feel sorry for myself for not being able to get one for him And feel guilty."

"At the same time, everyone knows what we have in Pat. I'm excited to have a new energy and excitement in the offense, a guy with a big arm, a guy that can do it all."

Kelce remained close to Smith, and he quickly developed a rapport and chemistry with Smith's successor. In 2018, Mahomes' first season as a starter, he set then-career highs in catches (103), yards (1,336) and touchdowns (10).

Mahomes described Kelce as a teammate in much the same terms as Smith. He said Kelce was at the Chiefs practice facility more than he expected during the offseason, given his many offseason projects.

"He works hard, plays hard and does all the little things that always help me because it allows me to get the best out of all the young players," Mahomes said.

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire Remember Kelce first met him at the start of training camp in 2020, shortly after he was drafted by the Chiefs. It was the NFL's COVID-19 season, so players were required to wear tracking devices that monitored close contacts.

Kelce approached Edwards-Helaire and introduced himself, and the two began talking. Soon, their tracking device began beeping loudly, indicating that the two had been in close contact for longer than allowed by regulations.

Kelce took off his monitors, grabbed Edwards-Helaire's monitors, and tossed them into his locker. The two men continued to talk, the monitor still beeping loudly.

"If a piece of grass has a personality, Travis can make friends with it," said Edwards-Helaire, who was released in December after four years with the Chiefs. "He was open to everything, loved everyone and put people first."

Edwards-Helaire was involved in an incident in college when an LSU football player shot and killed an 18-year-old who was trying to rob him and a teammate, according to police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. man, and then he came to the Chiefs. Police did not identify the two players, but the Associated Press reported that Edwards-Helaire was one of them.

Edwards-Helaire said the incident caused him to experience severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He missed occasional Chiefs practices and was placed on injured reserve early in the season as a result. He credits Kelce with being one of the people who helped him get through it. He said Kelce was the one who knew when he was struggling.

Similar to what happened against the Vikings in the West, Edwards-Helaire fumbled a late fumble against the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 with the Chiefs trailing by one and looking to take the lead. The Chiefs ultimately lost.

Again, it was Kelce who picked up his teammates.

"At one point, he put his arm around me and told me I was still a valuable player on the team and that I was still going to help the team win games," Edwards-Helaire said. "That means a lot to me. He'll pull you aside and let you know you're doing something amazing."

Kelce's impact on the Chiefs' locker room is evident, despite his softer tone.

“I think so,” Kelce said when asked if everyone who has played with him since joining the Chiefs would call him a good teammate. "I hope so. It's one of the things I like to be proud of about myself. I don't have many enemies in this building."

Edwards-Helaire became a free agent last summer and re-signed with the Chiefs. He said keeping Kelce's teammates was a big reason to return to the Chiefs.

"He's been in my shoes and pulled me out of my lowest moments," Edwards-Helaire said. "When I was at my highest, he tried to put a rocket in my back."