After 13 years in the NFL, Jason Kelce honored one of the lesser-known members of the Philadelphia Eagles during the press conference when he announced his retirement.
Kelce had his ankles taped as if he was going onto the field. It was symbolic, and a final thank you to the team’s trainer Joe O’Pella, Sports Illustrated reported.
O’Pella was undergoing treatment for cancer and missed what would become Kelce’s last game when the Eagles lost the wild card against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating Philadelphia from the playoffs, Fox News reported.
He shared what happened, saying that he had, “taped this guy’s ankles and thumbs everyday for 13 seasons, and when he played his last game in Tampa, again I couldn’t be there due to cancer.”
O’Pella said that he told the center that he regretted missing the game.
“And when he told me he would be retiring and I expressed my regret of not being the last person to ever tape him, he offered to have me tape him for his retirement press conference.”
That’s exactly what happened.
You can see the tape on Kelce’s ankles as he thanked the Eagles’ staff, according to Bleacher Report.
The biggest thank you of 'em all! pic.twitter.com/gm0FUKwTEB
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 6, 2024
O’Pella said that Kelce didn’t just let him tape him up for one of the biggest moments in the Eagles’ career, he also offered O’Pella his shore house if he needed to get away, and offered to pay for meal services for the trainer and his wife. He would also call O’Pella to check on him and just talk after chemotherapy treatments.
Bleacher Report said that O’Pella started with the Eagles as a training intern in 2008, eventually becoming an assistant athletic trainer and associated athletic trainer in 2018.
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