BYU’s Isaac Rex Reflects On Time He Met NFL Star Travis Kelce

Sep 28, 2023, 1:15 PM

KSL Sports

PROVO, Utah – Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is all over the internet because of his relationship, friendship, or whatever it’s being termed with superstar Taylor Swift.

Swifties are just learning of Kelce. But the football world has been well aware of his talent for years.

BYU tight end Isaac Rex loves watching Kelce’s film to study how the Chiefs star operates.

“Oh, yeah, he’s the best pass-catching tight end in the NFL. To do the things that he does is amazing,” said BYU tight end Isaac Rex to KSL Sports. “He and Mahomes have such a good relationship that it’s almost like clockwork. When he’s getting the ball to Kelce or when he’s looking at Kelce.”

Way before Kelce joined the Taylor Swift universe, he was a Cincinnati Bearcat alum. Rex and his BYU football squad are gearing up for a Friday night Big 12 tilt with Kelce’s alma mater this week.

So during Isaac Rex’s weekly conversation with me and Matt Baiamonte on KSL Sports, we discussed Kelce and Taylor Swift.

Rex met Travis Kelce while the BYU star was a senior in high school

Rex, the fifth-year veteran tight end at BYU, reflected on the time when he met the NFL star.

“I actually met Travis Kelce when I was a senior in high school. I think he was probably only three or four years in the [NFL]. He was pretty new in the league,” Rex said. “But he was the coolest guy. Such a cool guy.”

The meet-up happened because of former BYU great John Beck. Beck works at 3DQB in Southern California and Rex was a prep standout at nearby San Clemente High.

“[Kelce] was down in Southern California and John Beck had a couple of quarterbacks out there and he knew that Travis was coming out. So me and my friends went and watched him run some routes. He’s very technical, very shifty and knows how to use his leverage really well. Travis Kelce is a total stud and yeah, I look up to him a lot.”

The critical question is, did Isaac know back then that Kelce was a “Swiftie” (term for fans of Taylor Swift)?

“He’s a ladies’ man in general,” Rex said laughingly as he pointed out that Kelce had his own reality show called ‘Catching Kelce’ while Rex was in high school.

A comprehensive Travis Kelce dancing compilation from over the past decade in Kansas City. #TaylorSwift #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/mzSM5SujTL

— Jared Koller (@JaredKCTV5) September 26, 2023

Is Rex a “Swiftie?”

“I like a lot of her old stuff. You know, I used to listen to Fearless a lot. I was really young, probably still in elementary school. At least in middle school or something. Love Story is a great song, You Belong To Me is amazing. She kind of got away from country and went to more pop. You know, I’m not a crazy pop fan, but I still respect, you know, songs like, Shake It Off and I Knew You Were Trouble.”

BYU’s relationship equivalent to Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce?

Is there a BYU relationship that reaches the status of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift?

“There’s a lot of athlete-to-athlete [couples at BYU],” said Rex. “But there’s not a lot of entertainer-to-athlete relationships out there.”

Maybe it’s Isaac and his own wife, Lexi—a former Utah Valley volleyball standout who also has some singing moments in her past.

“I’m trying to think; my wife can sing, though. She used to post singing videos and play the piano. So my wife can really sing. But she’s kind of embarrassed to do it all the time,” Rex said with a smile. “So yeah, I would say it’s me and my wife.”

BYU vs. Cincinnati

Date: Friday, September 29, 2023

Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.