Travis Kelce's Teammate Mecole Hardman Jr. Reveals What Taylor Swift Told Him After Super Bowl-Winning Catch
The 25-year-old wide receiver reveals the fun way he made an impression on the pop star.
Published:
6:31 AM PST, February 28, 2024
Mecole Hardman Jr. seems to have left a lasting impression on Taylor Swift with his "magic." The Kansas City Chiefs player is opening up about his exchange with the pop star after catching the game-winning touchdown during Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month.
"She was like, 'Good job, proud of you, good game.' Like, 'Man, it was crazy,'" he said on Tuesday's episode of The Pivot Podcast, revealing what she told him on the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Then she said something about doing these magic tricks."
The 25-year-old wide receiver recalled meeting Swift at a party hosted by her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, earlier in the season, where Hardman wowed her with a trick involving a deck of cards.
"Every time she sees me she talks about it," he continued. "So then she was like, 'Man, you and these cards,' like ... 'Your hands are magical,' or something like that. Like, 'You catch the game-winning touchdown.'"
He added, "That was kinda cool, her saying that."
Swift has been a mainstay at the Chiefs' games since September, when news of her romance with Kelce went public.
"Taylor's so cool, bro," Hardman said in the new interview. "She just vibes."
He explained that being with her in a social setting is no different than meeting any of his other teammates' significant others, but admitted to feeling star struck behind the scenes.
"When we leave, like, 'Damn, that's like Taylor Swift,'" he said with a laugh.
Mecole Hardman Jr. #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Travis Kelce #87 and Taylor Swift after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. - Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesTaylor Swift, wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. #12 and tight end Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate after the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. - Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesHardman's interview comes the same week that Chiefs coach Andy Reid shared a story about the sweet way Swift won over Kelce's teammates.
"Behind the scenes, she likes to cook. So she made the offensive linemen these homemade poptarts," Reid revealed on the PFT Live podcast.
"So it was over," he said with a laugh. "She knew right where to go." However, he did seemingly lament not getting one of those baked sweets for himself.
Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesIn the time leading up to the Super Bowl, Swift appeared to make Herculean efforts to be by Kelce's side through the NFL's post season. Notably, she flew from the GRAMMYs in Los Angeles, California, to her Eras Tour performances in Tokyo, Japan, all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada, in one week.
Shortly after, Kelce made a quick trip to be there for one of her shows in Sydney, Australia, before turning back around to continue celebrating with his teammates again in Las Vegas.
A source recently told ET, "Taylor and Travis are both super busy right now, but they are trying their best to prioritize each other and their relationship. Travis is very into Taylor and wanted to be there to support her during her shows in Australia. He’s grateful that she showed up for him during a very hectic time in her career and made it a point to do the same for her. They’re making a joint effort to make things work."
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