Jason Kelce confronted his fear of heights with a ‘Go Birds’ while visiting West Point cadets on a PBS special
Kelce hosted the PBS Veterans Day show and experienced some of the challenges and traditions of military service.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce already made a name for himself on the football field, in the broadcast booth, and in the podcast world.
He can now add completing military obstacle courses and playing the saxophone with the U.S. Army Field Band to his resumé.
Kelce hosted PBS’s Salute to Service 2026: A Veterans Day Celebration, which aired Friday. The hourlong episode honored veterans and active-duty service members through musical performances, conversations, and a behind-the-scenes look at military life.
Kelce, who was joined by eight-time Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste and former NFL offensive tackle and Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva, who graduated from West Point in 2010, experienced some of the challenges and traditions of military service on the show.
» READ MORE: A former Eagles cheerleader joined the Army after college. Now, she’s the team’s Salute to Service nominee.
They rode a helicopter, spoke with Army football players, and even completed the water confidence course, a test of strength and endurance every cadet must complete to graduate from West Point.
Kelce spoke with the football team ahead of him trying the water obstacle course.
“I am afraid of heights, how bad of an issue is that for me?” Kelce said.
Laughing in unison, the cadets said that it would be “a bit of an issue, sir.”
First, Kelce navigated a beam walk 25 feet in the air with a rope drop in the water. He then had to climb a 75-foot tower that led to a zip line into the water.
“I get nervous climbing a ladder to the roof of my house,” Kelce said before taking on the zip line. “75 feet is going to be terrifying.”
Before plunging into the water, Kelce yelled out a loud, energetic “Go Birds.”
He also got a taste of life as a member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, better known as The Old Guard, the Army’s ceremonial unit and escort to the president. Kelce participated in drills, including pushups, squats, and a five-mile run; learned how to carry the American flag during a national anthem; and got an inside look at the training required to serve at Arlington National Cemetery.
Villanueva, who served three combat tours in Afghanistan and played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in a seven-year NFL career, spoke candidly to Kelce about the difficulties of leaving the military and returning to life as a civilian.
“The transition was probably one of the hardest transitions I’ve ever had in my life,” Villanueva said. “When you put on your [military] uniform every morning, you have a lot of respect for yourself. It fills you with pride to be wearing that uniform. And then you stop wearing that uniform, and now you’re a practice squad player. You don’t look at yourself with the same amount of respect.”
They also discussed the correlation of stepping away from the military and retiring from football.
“It was easy in the sense of when you’re on a football team, you’re always surrounded by people,” Villanueva said. “It becomes very much like the army. But leaving the military is a very difficult decision. Your identity changes, very similar to leaving the NFL. You are no longer the person you used to be. You’re on the outside looking in, and that feels a little bit lonely.”
The former Eagles center also joined the U.S. Army Field Band, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, for a rendition of “Gonna Fly Now,” the iconic theme song from Rocky.
“Veterans Day gives us the chance to come together, not just to say thank you, but to celebrate the men and women from every generation who answered the call to serve,” Kelce said.
With the Eagles’ season gradually going up in flames, there’s been plenty of external fingerpointing. The offense, specifically the line, has drawn considerable ire, especially in light of the Eagles parting ways with longtime, beloved assistant coach Jeff Stoutland. Stoutland’s track record on the offensive line is Hall of Fame-worthy. This year, with Chris Kuper as Stoutland’s replacement, the line has regressed.
Should Kuper shoulder most of the blame? What really happened between Stoutland and the Eagles that caused their relationship to fall apart? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane dives deeper into one of the biggest “what ifs” from a frustrating season, framing Stoutland’s exit around four key questions. Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
