TicketsApril 30, 2011
CINCINNATI - Former University of Cincinnati offensive lineman Jason Kelce (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 26th pick in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and the 191st selection overall.
Kelce was UC's lone drafted player this year, continuing a five-year streak where the Bearcats had at least one draftee.
He will join former UC standouts Brent Celek and Trent Cole on the Eagles roster. The Indianapolis Colts (Tyjuan Hagler, Jeff Linkenbach, Ricardo Mathews) also features three former Bearcats on its roster.
Kelce, who came to UC as a walk-on linebacker, was a two-time Second-Team All-BIG EAST Conference performer at guard in 2009 and at center in 2010. He started 38 games on the offensive line during his career, playing guard in 2008 and 2009 before switching to center in 2010.
During his career, UC achieved a number of offensive milestones. In 2010, the Bearcats had their first 1,000-yard rusher in nearly a decade, while in 2009 UC set school records for points scored and touchdowns, and in 2008 the offensive averaged 27.3 points per game and 375.3 yards of total offense per game.