Stephanie G. Mathis The N.F.L. star was driving around Los Angeles in early February with his business managers, Andre and Aaron Eanes. They were amazed at the billboards featuring Dwayne Johnson, the actor and entertainer better known as the Rock. The Rock was driving through Los Angeles with Andre and Aaron Eanes in early February, and they were amazed by the billboards of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an actor and entertainer.
Mr. Kelce stated, “I don’t believe I’ll be as famous as The Rock.”
The co-managers of his team looked at each other. “We’re like, Yes, you can,” Andre Eanes said.
Since Mr. Kelce attended the University of Cincinnati, the twins knew that this 6-foot-5 athlete with the Marvel character physique and blue eyes had crossover potential.
This year was one that even The Rock could envy. In February, Mr. Kelce won his second Super Bowl. In March, he hosted Saturday Night Live. He has also starred in seven television commercials. His podcast, which he hosts with his brother Jason, is one of the most popular ones on Spotify. His team launched a clothing brand.
He’s dating a world-famous pop singer. Perhaps you’ve heard.
In the last few seasons, the Chiefs have been the unstoppable force of football. Along the way, Mr. Kelce has built a team that includes a creative strategy, a coordinator for community outreach, a publicist based in Los Angeles, a chef, and a trainer. Mike Simon, the heV.M.G.’s V.M.G.’s football agency, is one of his four agents. He also became a Creative Artists Agency client in the spring to satisfy his growing acting urge.
The Eanes Brothers coordinate the entire process, managing the influx of traffic to a Kelce Inc. piece. The whole team shares film scripts. Consider game shows. Perhaps fewer commercials.
Aaron Eanes: “People tell me, ‘Man, it’s a crazy year.'” When I say, ‘Actually, it’s really not that crazy,’ people look at me funny. You can do it easily when you plan. We’re executing this plan.”
Taylor Swift was not involved in the conspiracy plan.
While Mr. Kelce had planned to become a mainstream celebrity before meeting Ms. Swift, there is no doubt that the doubled audience of men aged 18 to 49, bolstered by the female fans of Ms. Swift of all ages, has altered the equation for the future.
Richard Lovett said that Travis’s awareness is now much greater and has a wider audience. It’s increased what was inevitable in terms of his level of appeal and awareness.
Andre Eanes met Mr. Kelce through D.J., his college roommate. Woods is a childhood buddy of Mr. Eanes, who grew up in the Cleveland area. They became friends when Mr. Eanes, still in college, started a business that managed events and booked venues around Cincinnati with D.J.ssting D.J.s. Mr. Eanes was Mr. Kelce’s first V.I.P. for V.I.P. passes. pass.
Aaron Eanes studied sports management and entrepreneurship in the north of Ohio at Bowling Green State University. He wanted to grow the careers of athletes. He had no desire to become a traditional sports representative.
“Agents act as contract advisers,” said Mr. Eanes. “I instead thought about a music business model, and building a company where there is coordination with all of their external providers.”
Mr. Eanes had not even graduated from college when he began to pitch the services of both a manager and a traditional agent to college football players. At the time, it was a novel proposition for players who were primarily focused on securing their first professional contract. But Mr. Kelce appeared to understand the larger picture that his friends charted. He was the second client for A&A Management. The Eanes brothers still run the company.
Simon, Mr. Kelce’s agent, said that it was “unusual.” I think that his thinking at the time was, ‘Let us all do this together and we will figure it out along the way.’
In a 2015 article in Complex, Mr. Kelce was featured on a table with a Versace burgundy jumpsuit and Gucci sunnies. Aaron Eanes received a phone call a few days later from an E! producer. A reality dating show was mentioned. “I was like Absolutely Not!” said Mr. Eanes.
Aaron Eanes contacted the producers of the show during the 2020 season. However, their interest was only lukewarm. This changed in October 2021 when Mr. Kelce went to the tS.N. L.S.N.L.” after-party before a Philadelphia game and got down to business, talking up (and impressing Lorne Michaels).
Aaron Eanes woke up at 9 am the morning after the Chiefs beat the Eagles during the Super Bowl in February. ItS.N.L”S.N.L.”
“I don’t think he’s even slept yet,” Mr. Eanes said to the booking agent.
Kelce cried during the opening monologue of the show at Rockefeller Center Studio 8H on March 4. This was less than one month after his Super Bowl victory. Kelce had achieved a childhood goal and brought his family with him: his brother Jason, Eagles Center, and his parents Ed and Donna, who the Eanes brothers manage.
After “S.S.N.L. Eanes Brothers began interviewing Hollywood agencies with stronger connections in the entertainment industry.
Aaron Eanes jokingly said, “We are just two guys who live in Ohio.
Tom Young, the thC.A.A.A. co-head for sports media, and Mr. Lovett both agreed that Mr. Kelce’s easygoing charm and coachable nature made producers want him to work with them. Lovett stated that “decision makers and visionaries who are supposed to know the next big movie star had already taken notice of Travis, even before he appeared on Saturday Night Live.” “And probably even before.”
Aaron Eanes pointed out that nothing was rushed. This is not Mr. Kelce’s style. Mr. Eanes was already laying the foundation for his client to reach the A-list. Mr. Eanes targeted endorsement deals in 2022 with companies that were nN.F.L..L. traditional partners. Partnering with Pfizer to promote vaccines or Experian’s new debit card are examples of partners. It was intended to enhance Mr. Kelce’s reputation as a standalone pitchman rather than another interchangeable player for a commercial from one of the N.F.L.’s partners.
Danielle Salzedo is a brand strategist with 14 years of experience who joined the management team at Mr. Kelce after working for Viacom. She said that she learned marketing lessons by working with musicians like Harry Connick Jr., who were always willing to reinvent themselves to reach out to new audiences.
Mr. Kelce’s inner circle insists that he has not changed since becoming a viral star. Kumar Ferguson, his chef, has known Mr. Kelce ever since they were in fourth grade and played recreational basketball with each other. He brings home-cooked food (usually wild rice, veggies, and chicken) to the Chief’s practice facility each day so he can have lunch with Mr. Kelce.
Alex Skacel has been Mr. Kelce’s trainer for many years. He said that despite the increasing distractions, the star tight end’s commitment to football is stronger than ever.
Mr. Skacel often tells the story of his and Mr. Kelce’s late-night jog through the city during Paris Fashion Week. Mr. Kelce had been sitting on the runway all day, so he was eager to get a workout. Mr. Skacel recalled that it was midnight, and they were sprinting over the bridges across the river. Skacel is always on the go, and he manages to do everything he needs to.
Aaron Eanes, the team’s head of communications, said that while 2023 was almost a perfect year for Mr. Kelce, he is concerned about oversaturation. Are there too many of Mr. Kelce in the media and on T.V.? Should fans become numb from his sight? Next year’s plan revolves around a single word: curation. Fewer deals. Quality over quantity. Authenticity comes first.
The Eanes brothers rushed to Ohio to spend a few days at home with their family after a trip to New York for a conference on sports business. They then flew back to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play the Buffalo Bills.
Kelce, who was trailing by three points, caught a ball in the open. As he was about to be tackled, Kelce showed off his arm as a high-school quarterback by throwing a perfect ball back to a teammate in the open who ran into what appeared to have been a game-winning core. The only issue was that his teammate had lined himself up incorrectly prior to the play. This wiped out the touchdown.
The Chiefs lost the game, but Mr. Kelce was once again in the thick of it.
Andre Eanes stated, “We wanted Travis to become a world-famous figure.” We didn’t know when or how it would occur, nor what would push it forward. It’s been in the back of our minds.”
