Travis Kelce reveals his 'worst' job pushing Obamacare surveys before being drafted by Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Travis Kelce has revealed that before he was an NFL superstar, he was once a telemarketer who struggled to push Obamacare surveys for just $8 an hour.

In 2010, after being suspended from his college football team at the University of Cincinnati for violating team rules, Travis had to work a regular desk job that he admits he was terrible at.

Travis Kelce recalls his failed career as a telemarketer

On a recent episode of his ‘New Heights’ podcast, Travis Kelce discussed his past as a telemarketer with his brother Jason Kelce and the cast of the show 'Workaholics'.

During the conversation, he was very honest about how much he struggled in the role. "As fellow telemarketers, you know that you're reading an already pre-set script," Travis said while talking to the guests.

He explained that he simply wasn't cut out for the professional sales world, admitting, "I was the worst telemarketer in the world. I was slinging surveys for Obamacare."

Travis Kelce knew 9-to-5 wasn't for him

For an athlete who grew up being active, sitting in a small chair all day was a massive challenge. 

In a 2017 interview, Travis shared that people would often yell at him about the government while he sat in his tiny workspace trying to earn a living.

"All I had been doing is playing outside, playing sports my entire life," he recalled. "I had never sat down and tried to earn a living like that. That's not to hit on anybody's 9-to-5; that's just not for me." 

This difficult experience gave him the push he needed to get his life back on track. 

"The light at the end of the tunnel was that if I do what I'm supposed to do instead of being a knucklehead, I can have a way better life than this," he said.

Travis Kelce secures massive new deal with the Chiefs

Travis eventually returned to football and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, which changed everything.

Now, the 36-year-old is considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, winning three Super Bowls and countless individual records over the course of 13 seasons in the league.

Despite the Chiefs missing the playoffs in a difficult 2025 season, Travis, who is engaged to pop star Taylor Swift, just signed a new three-year contract worth $54 million.

While he is expected to retire after the 2026 season, he has successfully moved from being at the bottom of the telemarketing charts to becoming one of the most famous and successful athletes in the world.