How Jason Kelce's influence drove US men’s rowing team to clinch gold at Paris Olympics

PARIS FRANCE: Former Philadelphia Eagles star, Jason Kelce played a crucial role in the USA men’s rowing team’s recent victory. The team secured a historic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the country’s first gold in rowing since 1960. 

Before the four rowers competed on the Seine River, they drew inspiration from a motivational speech delivered by podcaster Jason Kelce, brother of Travis Kelce, to overcome New Zealand and Great Britain. 

Additionally, the rowers discussed how they had to discipline themselves to avoid other activities and how their families made sacrifices for them.

What was the motivation speech given by Jason Kelce in 2018?

Jason Kelce’s memorable and impassioned speech at the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade in 2018, delivered from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, emphasized the team's underdog status.

“You know what an underdog is? It’s a hungry dog,” Kelce declared, adding, “Bottom line is, we wanted it more. . . . Everybody wanted it more. And that's why we're up here today.”

Justin Best says Jason Kelce’s speech helped them secure gold

Justin Best of the US rowing team told PEOPLE that the athletes listened to this speech before their race on July 28, which secured them a spot in the August 1 final. 

"I was at the speech when it happened . . . I was right in front of the Art Museum and that resonated with me because that team was not supposed to win. Tom Brady was supposed to win with the big bad [New England] Patriots."

Best noted that Kelce’s speech included a list of doubts about various players, such as, "'This guy isn't this, you know, they say he's too small." 

Best and his team found parallels, saying, "There's some people out there that said, 'Oh, New Zealand's gonna win' or 'Great Britain's gonna win' or 'Australia is gonna take the gold.' We showed that speech kind of before the race. And we could see ourselves like: 'Nick Mead, he's too big', you know, like, 'I'm too small' or things like that. . . . We kind of resonated with that and said, 'You know what, we're gonna adopt that hungry dog mentality'."

The team, consisting of Justin Best, Liam Corrigan, Michael Grady and Nick Mead, reflected on their critics as they prepared for the Games. Having narrowly missed out on medals at the Tokyo Games, the experience only fueled their determination to succeed.

Corrigan, 26, made it clear with a laugh that he’s a Detroit Lions fan, not an Eagles supporter. "Despite that, that really hyped me up," Corrigan claimed. "That was before our heat . . . after that, I just had a really positive energy. It carried us through."

While the rowers are thrilled with their gold medal, it has come with significant sacrifices. They’ve spent months away from loved ones, cut alcohol from their diets, and focused intensely on healthy living and training. 

Best admitted, "There were some days that I personally was like, 'This is horrible. This is very difficult'. But you know, that motivation, that extrinsic motivation from these three guys has helped me a ton."

Grady, 27, shared this sentiment, emphasizing the role of his teammates in maintaining positivity, "Sometimes you're maybe like, faking the energy, the positivity, but eventually it just becomes real. To be able to keep the positive mindset and tell yourself like, 'Let's go'."

They’ve also had the unwavering support and sacrifices of their partners and loved ones. "I think all of us are in long-term relationships and training on the road across the United States and being in a relationship is not easy," stated Mead, 29. "The brunt of that burden is borne by not us, but our girlfriends and fiancees. We haven't been home in eight months, and they have just been by our side that whole time. We owe so much to our parents and our spouses."

Internet labels Jason Kelce a 'role model to look up to'

After it was revealed that the US men’s rowing team won their gold medal with support from Jason Kelce, many quickly extended their congratulations and offered praise on Facebook.

One said, "Great job! You know Jason is so proud!" Another wrote, "That's a role model to look up to!!!"

Someone else emphasized, "Congratulations! Hungry dogs row faster!"

Another wrote, "Love our Jason Kelce! Congrats to Team USA," and one individual wrote, "Awesome Homegrown Gold."

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