Jason Kelce did not know he was hated by NFL great: He thought I would ruin the game

The retired Eagles star wasn’t universally-liked

Kelce speaks during his retirement press conference.Lapresse

Jason Kelce retired after 13 seasons as one of the NFL‘s “good guys.” The Philadelphia Eagles center stepped away from pro football as a six-time All-Pro and a Super Bowl champion, winning plaudits for years of consistency at the heart of Philadelphia‘s offensive line. But it turns out that not everyone in the NFL was a big fan of Kelce — and that includes another recently-retired star.

On a recent podcast appearance, Aaron Donald detailed just how difficult his life was whenever his Los Angeles Rams faced Kelce’s Eagles — and just how little he liked going up against big #62 in midnight green.

Donald: I hated Kelce and Philly

Donald was among the most dominant defensive linemen of his generation and, like Kelce, will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. But the three-time Defensive Player of the Year told Chris Long on the “Green Light” podcast that few opposing linemen gave him the problems that Kelce gave him.

“I hated playing against Philly,” Donald said. “Kelce, his little fast ass always ran full — he would snap the ball and run over right now.”

Donald, who made eight All-Pro teams, recorded sacks against all but two teams in his 10-year career — the New York Jets (whom he played twice) and the Eagles, who limited him to one tackle for loss and six quarterback hits in five meetings. Kelce was vital in that effort to keep Donald quiet, as the Pittsburgh native revealed.

“I’m like, ‘Bro, you got some good guards. Let them work. You don’t (have to) help them every time.’ He’s like, ‘we’re not gonna let you ruin the game,'” Donald recalled.

Of the five meetings between Donald’s Rams and Kelce’s Eagles, Philly took four of them — perhaps contributing to a little bitterness on the LA star’s part. However, he made it clear how much he respected Kelce for doing what few other lineman could: slowing him down. At the end of the day, both men won a Super Bowl and enjoyed Hall of Fame careers, giving the two plenty to celebrate despite being on opposite sides of the ball.