Jason Kelce Looks Serious About Wing Bowl 22
By Joseph Santoliquito
Philadelphia, PA (CBS)—His beard was trimmed. His hair was pulled back. Jason Kelce wore a serious look as a bowl of hot wings was placed in front of him in the cafeteria of the NovaCare Complex Tuesday afternoon.
It looks as if the Eagles center is serious about entering Wing Bowl 22. Kelce hunkered down, flanked by Eagles' long snapper Jon Dorenbos, dressed dapperly and a Wing Bowl commissioner, and tried to gobble roughly 100 wings before a klieg of cameras.
"I am serious about this," Kelce said, trying not to laugh. "I trimmed my beard, I don't want stuff in there a few days afterward.
Dorenbos gave his Eagles' teammate the simple command, "Jason, you have to eat five wings in five minutes."
SEE THE VIDEO: Jason Kelce Eats To Enter Wing Bowl
"What made me want to do it, they said there were free hot wings and I'm there," said the 6-foot-3, 295-pound Kelce. "I think the most I ever ate before was around 65, 70, at a Hooter's all-you-can-eat thing on a Wednesday. I think if I can get motivated, I think I can eat some wings. I think the beard is going to play a big part. I'm trying not to bite down on the hairs. That can get in the way of eating fast, so the first thing I knew I had to do was trim down the beard a little bit. I think chewing and swallowing was the toughest part for me."
"I have trimmed the beard, I had to get the mustache down for easier mouth access," Kelce told Angelo Cataldi and the WIP Morning Show on Wednesday.
Dorenbos, trying to keep a straight face, said, "I think Jason can do. It's mental preparation, speed, agility, Jason has all of those qualities. He has that sheer determination to overcome the wing at the moment. The wings have no shot if Jason comes with a great mental approach."
Kelce only had to eat five in five minutes, but he downed about 20, maybe 25.
"Hey, it's free food, all you can eat, let's have some fun," Kelce said.
The wings are obviously a big part of Wing Bowl, but so are the entrances. Each competitor enters the arena with a float, or another procession. Kelce has his own driver.
"[Eagles president] Don Smolenski is been working on driving the Eagles golf cart all week, and we're trying to get some stuff going here," Kelce said.
Per Cataldi's suggestion, Kelce said he may tip his driver.