Jason Kelce promised to reunite a young fan with his luchador mask after the Chiefs fan spotted Kelce wearing the mask in numerous videos from Las Vegas while out celebrating Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII victory on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles center on Friday took to X and wrote to his hundreds of thousands of followers that “Operation ‘Get Elijah His Mask Back’ is underway!” It came after he said he was made aware of NBC DFW’s story regarding the owner of the mask, 8th grader Elijah Smith, hoping to get it back.
“I appreciate everyone bringing this [story] to my attention, and look forward to uniting Elijah with his mask once again,” Kelce wrote. “Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered.”
Kelce — brother of Chief’s star Travis Kelce — included a picture in his post showing a photo of him wearing the yellow and red luchador mask standing next to Elijah at a Super Bowl celebration.
Operation “Get Elijah His Mask Back” is underway! I appreciate everyone bringing this to my attention, and look forward to uniting Elijah with his mask once again. Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered https://t.co/HHazKInFRi
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) February 16, 2024
The post has since gone viral with more than 1.2 million views it at the time of this publication.
On Sunday, pictures and videos surfaced on social media of the Eagles star wearing the mask while out celebrating with his brother and Taylor Swift following the Chiefs 25-22 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith and his parents spoke to the NBC outlet on Thursday and talked about how he would like his “lucky” mask back because Kelce inadvertently walked away with it after they took the photo together. They said the mask was lucky because Elijah wore it to the 2023 Super Bowl and the Chiefs won and he again wore it to this year’s Super Bowl where the team was victorious.
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“I gave him my mask and then he dropped it and then picked it back up,” Smith told the outlet. “Then I got a picture with him wearing it and then I just hung out next to them for five to 10 minutes, they were dancing and everything.”
Smith said he and his friend tried to catch up to Jason, but it was loud and very crowded.
“I saw videos on Instagram this week of him wearing it at the next after-party he went to, so he clearly never took it off the whole night,” Smith added.
Elijah’s father Thad Smith told NBC, “The only thing is, Jason if you’re listening, we just need the mask back before the season starts. Because it’s a lucky mask, and so the Chiefs need the luck. I’m sorry we’re not Eagles fans.”
Elijah said the mask has a huge autograph on the side from Chief’s player Trent McDuffie so he would really like it back, adding that “it would be pretty cool if he [Kelce] autographed it” before he sent it back.