She was fresh off a flight from Paris and the Olympics, but Kylie showed up for Eagles fans while her husband made his ESPN debut.
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Kylie Kelce returns to the Linc for the Eagles’ open practice and an autism fundraiser
She was fresh off a flight from Paris and the Olympics, but Kylie showed up for Eagles fans while her husband made his ESPN debut.
Eagles fans watch kicker Jake Elliott practice before the start of the public practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday.
Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerWhile Jason Kelce made his ESPN broadcasting debut Thursday night, Kylie Kelce was back home at Lincoln Financial Field for Thursday’s open practice, helping with the fundraiser for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
After her husband’s retirement from the NFL, Kylie Kelce passed the reins of organizing the wives’ booth at the event, to Brooke Dickerson, wife of right guard Landon Dickerson, but she couldn’t stay away for too long.
The foundation’s executive director, Ryan Hammond, said Kylie has taken lead for the organization every year up until 2024. With Kylie and Jason in Paris for the Olympics the day before, it seemed as if she might miss the event for the first time, but despite jet lag, she made it just in time, to the delight of the gathering crowd in front of the booth.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni before the start of the public practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday.
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“Kylie’s easy to follow in the footsteps of,” Brooke Dickerson told The Inquirer. “…The girls make it easy, because they’re so willing to give their time and come here and support not only the Eagles Autism Foundation but just the Eagles in general.”
“She didn’t need any [advice],” Kylie Kelce told The Inquirer. “She is a rock star. The fact that she was willing to raise her hand and encourage other women to get involved — every single year, we have a strong rotation of women that come in. To have someone else advocating in the women’s group chat and saying, ‘Hey, this is an outstanding opportunity to get involved, to sweat a lot, and to get to be face to face with the fans,’ which I think is honestly one of the biggest selling points. She’s been absolutely incredible.”
As word circulated that Kelce was at the booth, fans began to line up for the opportunity to meet her, and to have her sign their No. 62 jerseys. She said she felt terrible — “I feel so bad decreasing the value of these items by scribbling on them” — but the big crowd helped sell more merchandise, adding to the $500,000 already raised by the Eagles Autism Foundation in ticket sales for the event.
kylie kelce is here signing jason kelce jerseys (and raising money for the eagles’ autism foundation) at the eagles’ open practice pic.twitter.com/C6M9XsEb7W
— Gabriela Carroll (@gablcarroll) August 2, 2024
The booth was one of many fundraisers and events at the open practice. Fans also got the opportunity to fill a bag of Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field concert merchandise for $30 and participate in an auction for the players’ custom energy green jerseys.
The Linc also hosted a food stand for Popcorn for the People, one of the foundation’s partner organizations, which was founded to provide employment for neurodiverse individuals. The organization also provided sensory suites for neurodiverse fans for the event, and it is continuing to expand its program to employ more neurodiverse people at the stadium.
“When the foundation first started, I started volunteering, and then Ryan, our executive director, I think she realized that it was going to take a lot more to get rid of me, so she actually offered me a position in a more official capacity,” said Kylie Kelce, now senior event coordinator of the foundation. “I’m technically employed by the Eagles Autism Foundation, and I plan to stay for quite some time.”
The main event of the fundraiser was, of course, the open practice. Nearly 50,000 fans, clad in midnight and kelly green, packed the lower bowl and even filled in the middle and upper bowls for the Eagles’ only public practice at the Linc. Each ticket was $10, with all proceeds going to the Eagles Autism Foundation.
Many fans felt the end of the 2023 season was a letdown, but the offseason moves reinvigorated the Eagles’ fan base — which already has high expectations for 2024. A number of fans broke out the Saquon Barkley jerseys for the team’s highest-profile offseason addition.
“Howie [Roseman] did great,” said one fan, Jarrett Carnes Jr. from Bethlehem, Pa. “He worked his magic, per usual. We made some good pickups. Maybe it’s still not done, maybe we can pick up at the trade deadline coming up later in the season. I know Howie will work his magic, I have faith that we’ll get it done with what we’ve got.”
The crowd was fired up for the first glimpse of the new-look Birds.
“It’s very game-like tonight,” coach Nick Sirianni said ahead of the practice. “When you get in the stadium, it’s just different, and the amount of people that are going to be in here tonight. I don’t know, but I can’t imagine that many teams are having the same type of attendance that we are here. That will be great, just for the atmosphere.”
