{"id":58172,"date":"2023-12-01T03:48:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T03:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/01\/tony-gonzalez-praises-taylor-swift-for-bringing-new-fans-to-football\/"},"modified":"2023-12-01T03:48:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T03:48:30","slug":"tony-gonzalez-praises-taylor-swift-for-bringing-new-fans-to-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/01\/tony-gonzalez-praises-taylor-swift-for-bringing-new-fans-to-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Tony Gonzalez Praises Taylor Swift for Bringing New Fans to Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez<\/strong> praised Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/a> for shining a light on America\u2019s favorite pastime through her romance with Travis Kelce<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s great that Taylor\u2019s done this for the NFL,\u201d Gonzalez, 47, said during a Thursday, November 30, appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show<\/em><\/a>. \u201cShe\u2019s brought a whole new audience, it\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez recalled recently being in the airport when a 10-year-old girl approached him to say hello. \u201cUsually men come up to me, occasionally a woman, but I was like, \u2018Oh, a 10-year-old girl? How cool I\u2019m getting so popular,\u2019\u201d he quipped about the exchange. \u201cShe goes, \u2018Hi, Is your name Tony? Do you know Travis Kelce?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez played in the NFL for 17 seasons before his retirement in 2013. The athlete spent his first 12 seasons as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, the same team as Swift\u2019s boyfriend Kelce, 34, before later joining the Atlanta Falcons. He finished his career with 14 Pro Bowl selections, six first-team All-Pros and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>NFL Stars Who Love Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tTaylor Swift is sparking the interest of the NFL\u2019s biggest stars \u2014 and we\u2019re not just talking about Travis Kelce. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, for one, attended multiple dates of Swift\u2019s Eras Tour when the show came through East Rutherford, NJ in May 2023. \u201cI\u2019m very proud of my dancing skills finally being [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Earlier this week, Kelce made headlines when he reached 11,000 receiving yards in the fewest number of games as a tight end, breaking a record previously held by Gonzalez. At the time, Gonzalez took to social media to congratulate his former teammate, writing via X (formerly Twitter), \u201cCongrats<\/span>\u00a0and well earned my friend! Keep it going @tkelce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez wasn\u2019t the only one to celebrate Kelce\u2019s big moment. Swift, 33, also showed her support<\/a> by \u201cliking\u201d an Instagram post shared by the Kansas City Chiefs about the milestone. \u201cFastest tight end to 11k receiving yards AND the only player in franchise history to do it \ud83c\udff9,\u201d the post read.<\/p>\n

Kelce and Swift were first linked in September, when the Grammy winner accepted Kelce\u2019s offer to see him \u201crock the field\u201d at Arrowhead Stadium in his game against the Chicago Bears. She has since appeared at four Chiefs games throughout the 2023-2024 season. Kelce has also been spotted cheering Swift on as she travels the globe for the international leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\n Taylor Swift<\/span> David Eulitt\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pair\u2019s relationship have since taken the world by storm<\/a>, with everyone from fellow celebrities to the NFL itself gushing over their blossoming romance. Even Swift\u2019s closest pals are excited about<\/a> about the duo finding each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriends close to Taylor and Travis think they make an amazing power couple, and they couldn\u2019t be happier for them,\u201d an insider exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> in October. Later that month, a second insider added that Swift\u2019s inner circle thinks she and Kelce are \u201cin love.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Swift and Kelce, the couple have \u201cvery detailed plans\u201d on staying close while \u201cshe\u2019s on tour and he has games,\u201d a third insider told Us<\/em> earlier this month. \u201cThey don\u2019t want to start their relationship off with big gaps [in time spent apart]. They\u2019re trying to be as much like a regular couple as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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