It was announced that former Cincinnati Bearcats offensive lineman Jason Kelce will be inducted into the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame. Kelce joins Connor Barwin, Loretta Blaut, Christy Hoffman, Bob Huggins, Mike Kinnett, and Wayne Mason as part of the 50th anniversary class, which is to be enshrined on Friday, October 23rd, at Fifth Third Arena, the night before the Cincinnati Bearcats homecoming game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Kelce originally came to Cincinnati as a walk-on linebacker from Cleveland Heights. Kelce eventually moved to the offensive line and became a scholarship player. Before switching to the offensive line, Kelce played linebacker, where in his freshman season he was named Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year; he then switched to the offensive line in 2007. Kelce was a two-time second-team All-Big East selection in 2009 as an offensive guard and in 2010 as a center. In his career, he started 38 games on the offensive line, 26 at left guard and 12 at center.
In 2008 and 2009, with Kelce on the team, the Bearcats had two of their best seasons ever in program history. In '08, the Bearcats set a school record in wins, going 11-3, including a BCS Bowl birth against Virginia Tech. In '09, the Bearcats started 12-0, breaking their win total record from the previous season and winning their second straight Big East Championship. They would go on to make the Sugar Bowl, where they would lose to the Florida Gators and Tim Tebow, but they would finish No. 3 in the final BCS standings.
Walk-on ➡️ Hall of Fame@GoBearcatsFB legend Jason Kelce will be inducted into the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame as part of this year's 50th anniversary class. 🏆
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) August 13, 2026
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