Breakfast might just be Travis Kelce’s secret weapon when it comes to performing on the football field. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who’s gearing up for a showdown against the Baltimore Ravens, swears by this classic breakfast dish as his go-to pre-game meal.
The 34-year-old NFL star has long been vocal about his love for French toast, revealing that it has been his pre-game ritual since 2019. Despite his love for Kansas City BBQ, Kelce admitted, “Every pregame meal has been French toast and strawberries since I’ve been on the Chiefs.”
Drafted by the team in 2013, Kelce has stuck with this tradition, relying on the carb-heavy meal to fuel his performances on the field.
“I love BBQ, but French toast is my thing on game day,” Kelce told Inside Hook. And it’s not just because it tastes great. He explained that the carbohydrates provide the energy boost he needs for intense physical performance. “On game day, you want to carb up, so I have the energy I need for the game,” he told Men’s Journal in 2020. With many NFL games kicking off in the afternoon, Kelce’s pre-game meals tend to lean toward breakfast options. “For me, I have to grab some French toast, get my blood sugar going, get some carbs in. I’m big on French toast. Always eat that at the team’s pregame meal,” he added.
In 2016, Kelce took his dedication to nutrition one step further by hiring his childhood friend Kumar Ferguson as his private chef. Since then, Ferguson has been crafting delicious and clean meals for the NFL star, including various French toast creations. Ferguson has shared some of his French toast recipes online, showcasing dishes like “Crunchy Flaky French Toast,” “Croissant Crème Brûlée French Toast,” and “Blueberry Drizzled Brown Sugar Crunch French Toast Stix.” These creative spins on the classic dish have ensured that Kelce’s favorite meal stays exciting.
While Ferguson keeps Kelce’s French toast game strong, the NFL star has also enjoyed some homemade breakfast treats from his girlfriend, Taylor Swift. In a heartwarming moment, retired NFL star Bernie Kosar recalled meeting the pop star at Kelce’s home before her first Chiefs game on September 24, 2023. Kosar shared on the “Tobin and Leroy” show, “Taylor is so nice. She comes in by herself, she’s so cool, she brings… she made her homemade cinnamon rolls for Travis for a pregame meal.”
Swift’s culinary skills didn’t stop there. Just a few months later, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed that the Grammy-winning artist had made homemade Pop-Tarts for the team’s offensive linemen. “She likes to cook, so she made the offensive linemen homemade Pop-Tarts,” Reid shared on “NFL on NBC.”
Though Reid didn’t get to try the treats himself, Kelce was full of praise for Swift’s baking skills. “Taylor makes a great Pop-Tart and cinnamon roll,” he said during a press conference in June 2024.
Whether it’s his signature French toast from Ferguson or sweet homemade treats from Swift, it’s clear that Kelce has found the perfect pre-game fuel. As he continues to dominate on the field, his pre-game meal ritual might just be part of the winning formula that’s helped him become one of the best tight ends in NFL history.
