‘Cool to see’: Travis Kelce explains decision to give Super Bowl tickets to KC teenager

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City teenager will be rooting for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. And he’ll be doing it in New Orleans, thanks to Travis Kelce.

Kelce said he met Operation Breakthrough’s Ignition Lab. The lab is funded through Kelce’s 87 and Running Foundation.

“Javion, I’ve known him since he was literally, first, second grade at Operation Breakthrough. Him and his family, who he’s been through the program and now that he takes advantage of everything that the city has to offer, you know, everything that the Ignition Lab has to offer,” Kelce said during an interview Friday.

Mahone is now a senior at Hogan Preparatory Academy. He played football and was a wide receiver and a strong safety for the school.

The two share a love of football but Mahone said they talk about so much more.

“Surprisingly, we really don’t talk about football, we talk about real life – how you can control certain things under pressure… he’s someone I look up to,” Mahone said. “Every card I’m dealt, I gotta play it right and execute and take everything that I’m doing serious.”

Kelce said Mahone has so much going for him and is setting a good example for others. That’s why Kelce said he gifted the teenager the tickets.

“He has his own clothing brand, so he has some cool things with his life, so it’s just cool to see him be a leader to his brother and show and set a good example and show everyone exactly what the ignition lab and operation breakthrough can offer,” Kelce said.

Mahone said he is taking his little brother, Latrell Brown and his mother, Echelle Ward with him to New Orleans for the game on Feb. 9.

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