With the amount of care and forward planning that Taylor Swift puts into her life and career— like all those Easter eggs in the lead-up to an album’s release—it’s no surprise that her boyfriend Travis Kelce is just a little bit Type A too.
Kelce, who plays tight end for the currently undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, has a five-minute plan for gameplay, a five-year plan for diversifying his career, and, when it comes to his facial hair, a five-month plan (or however long the NFL season lasts).
Kelce dished about his meticulously maintained mustache in an interview with People published Monday. It started as a bit of a joke, then became both a tribute and a superstition.
“I grow out the ‘stache every training camp—or at least I have the past three or four years since we’ve been making these title runs,” he told the outlet. “In honor of coach Andy Reid. He is the walrus!”
Kansas City head coach Reid, who has led the team since 2013, including three Super Bowl wins within the past four seasons, is known for his trademark facial hair. Unlike Kelce, who has sported the style only in season in recent years, Reid rocks a mustache all year long.
“He’s got that thing looking beautiful every single day,” Kelce said admiringly of Reid’s hirsute adornment.
Kelce’s look started as a goof a few years back; he thought “it’d be funny” to roll into pre-season training camp with a mustache. But now he grows it to “keep the tradition alive.”
While Swift, if you trust Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is the brains behind Kelce’s current hairstyle, his commitment to keeping his facial hair going strong all season is entirely his own.
“There’s always magic to the ‘stache,” he said. “There’s an aura around it. It just brings success.”
