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Jason Kelce met one of the NFL’s best defensive players and defended his brother all during a busy weekend back at his alma mater.

The University of Cincinnati football team’s X account posted a photo Saturday afternoon of Kelce with Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner, under the caption “Two eras. One program” and a goat emoji.

The Hall of Fame-bound Kelce, who retired from the Eagles earlier this offseason, began playing the position that would define his career (center) at Cincinnati from 2017-10.

Gardner, a two-time All-Pro cornerback in his first two seasons in the NFL, arrived on campus about a decade later and grew into an elite prospect by dominating from 2019-21.


  Jason Kelce stood by his brother Travis. Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Jason Kelce stood by his brother Travis. Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Shortly after his alma mater’s post, Kelce wrote his own to respond to criticism of his brother Travis — the dominant tight end for the Chiefs and the boyfriend of pop star Taylor Swift.

The Kelces co-host one of the most popular podcasts in the country.

It was meant to look like a graduation ceremony, which bothered some viewers.

Not the same as Jason chugging a beer in a luxury suite while Travis’ Chiefs were playing in the playoffs.

“Please question your brother for the graduation antics?” one commenter wrote to Jason. “Doing what you did at a playoff game in buffalo is one thing but doing that at the college where he got kicked off the team for acting like a jack— prob wasn’t best idea.”


  Travis and Jason Kelce hosted a live podcast at their alma mater. I. Marley/Cincinnati Athletics / MEGA Travis and Jason Kelce hosted a live podcast at their alma mater. I. Marley/Cincinnati Athletics / MEGA

It turns out, however, that the university was just playing a joke on the Kelces by setting up a mock graduation.

“I know it looks like a graduation from the video,” Jason wrote, “but this was actually at the end of a ‘New Heights Live’ podcast that we put on to raise money for the University’s NIL. The university did this to poke fun at my brother and I for never really picking up our diplomas.”

In other words, no need to get Saucy with the Kelces about it.

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