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Eagles tailgate photo landed South Jersey native on E! reality show

    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

On Wednesday night's episode of the dating show Catching Kelce, Wildwood Crest native Veronica Harwood was the first contestant to share an "overnight date" with Travis Kelce, the brother of Eagles center Jason Kelce.

And she would've even have been there if it weren't for LeSean McCoy.

The 25-year-old Eagles fan and Miss New Jersey semifinalist was attending last year's Bills-Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field (Shady's return to Philadelphia) when she posted an innocent tailgating photo on Instagram.


That photo caught the eye of a casting agent for the E! network show, which involves several suitors trying to win over the affection of the Chiefs' tight end. Hardwood was initially asked to participate in several FaceTime interviews, even though she knew next to nothing about the show.

"I didn't know it was Travis," Harwood told 94.1 WIP host Angelo Cataldi, adding she was worried it might be something silly, like "a ping-pong player."

Eventually, the show's producers revealed to Hardwood that Kelce was the star, and flew her out to Los Angeles for one final in-person interview. After that, she was offered one of 50 spots on the show. She's excelled ever since, nabbing a spot in the final four. The winner will be revealed in a 2-hour finale next Wednesday night.

So is it really possible to find love on a television reality show?

"It's definitely possible, but you really have to stay true to yourself," Harwood said. "It's hard not to get wrapped up into the drama and listen to all these other girls' relationships [with Travis]."

Harwood, an aspiring pastry chef, spent the summer bar tending at Oyster Bay in Cape May. The Jersey Shore native filmed the show over the course of six weeks earlier this year at a Los Angeles mansion, and has been forced to endure a fair amount of ribbing over her South Jersey accent.

Despite the ribbing, Jason Kelce, a consultant on the show, admitted on the first episode he was pushing for Harwood, who is a life-long Eagles fan.


Like all Eagles fans, Hardwood is a proud member of the "Wentz Wagon." But if she doesn't end up being chosen by Kelce, would she date the Eagles rookie phenom?

"Um, I don't know," an apprehensive Harwood told Cataldi. "I like a guy with meatier thighs."