Donna Kelce
Donna Kelce | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donna Blalock Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Former banking professional, actress, philanthropist |
| Years active | Banking career: approximately 30 years; Acting debut: 2024 |
| Known for | Mother of NFL athletes Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce; Hallmark Channel actress; Glamour magazine's 2024 Woman of the Year |
| Notable work | Christmas on Call, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story |
Donna Kelce (born Blalock) is a former American banking professional and the mother of NFL athletes Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce. In addition to nurturing two elite sportsmen, she has participated in philanthropic activities and ventured into media, including acting roles in Hallmark Channel movies and being honored as one of Glamour magazine's women of the year in 2024.
Early life and education
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Donna Kelce's maternal ancestors emigrated from Croatia. She spent her childhood in a modest downtown residence where her grandparents lived above. Following the death of her mother when Donna was 12, her family moved to Moreland Hills, Ohio. Her father remarried Mary, who played a significant role in Donna’s upbringing until her passing in 2023.
Although her father disapproved of female participation in sports, Kelce pursued track and field with encouragement from her stepmother, competing at the Junior Olympics during high school. She was the first family member to complete higher education, obtaining a bachelor's degree in radio and television from Ohio University and later earning an M.B.A. from Baldwin Wallace University.
Career
Donna Kelce dedicated three decades to the banking sector, initially working with Mastercard before specializing in commercial real estate financing at a Cleveland-based financial institution.
Leveraging her public recognition, she has supported charitable causes such as a campaign selling mugs featuring her image alongside a recipe to help alleviate student lunch debt, which she actively promoted.
In 2024, Kelce debuted as an actress in two Hallmark Channel holiday productions: Christmas on Call and Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. In the first film, she portrayed the owner of a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop donning an Eagles jersey bearing her son Jason Kelce's number. In the second, she played a Kansas City barbecue restaurant manager wearing a Chiefs jersey personalized with a message from her son Travis Kelce. These initial acting experiences were described by Kelce as fun and approached with lightheartedness.
That same year, she was recognized by Glamour as one of their women of the year for her dual role as mother to two professional football players and for her insights on motherhood, ambition, and resilience.
Personal life
Donna met Ed Kelce at Fagan's bar in Cleveland. They married during the 1970s and divorced after two decades together. The couple are parents to Jason Kelce, center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Notably, in 2022, the brothers became the first siblings to compete against each other in a Super Bowl, bringing attention to Donna as their mother.
She has openly discussed the difficulties involved in raising her sons, stressing accountability and self-reliance while expressing pride in their down-to-earth nature despite their public achievements.
As of 2024, Donna Kelce resides in Orlando, Florida.