Why Travis Kelce Credits Erin Andrews For Jumpstarting His Romance With Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce seems to have mastered the art of shooting your shot, and his target? The one and only Taylor Swift, no less. From making friendship bracelets with his number on them during The Eras Tour to extending a public invitation to watch one of his games, Kelce's persistent efforts in wooing the biggest pop star on the planet appeared to have paid off now that the two are reportedly an item. But apparently, behind the scenes, Kelce wasn't totally alone. He's gotten help from some of his friends to catch Swift's attention.

Kelce and Swift's love story began in July 2023 when the athlete was spotted attending her concert in Kansas City. That same month, he revealed on his podcast with his brother Jason that he had planned on asking Swift that day by way of a friendship bracelet, but her security was extra tight. A source told Today that the two met up in New York City in August, while Kelce shared on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he "threw the ball in her court" by asking her to pull up to Arrowhead Stadium and watch his team in action. Days later, Swift, indeed, graced a Chiefs game with her presence and has since been spotted attending a couple more matches.

By the looks of it, Kelce pursued Swift on his own, but he later acknowledged that sports reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson played a big role in setting them up. As it turns out, the duo publicly appealed to Swift on their joint podcast, urging the singer to give Kelce a chance.

Call sports commentators Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson modern-day cupids as the two credit themselves with bringing Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift together. In an August episode of their "Calm Down" podcast, they encouraged Swift to consider taking a chance on their good pal Kelce.

"Taylor, I don't know what you are doing in your life right now besides rocking the world. Please try our friend Travis. He is fantastic," Andrews said. "Take us up on this, go on a date with this guy. Do it for America." Thompson reiterated Andrews' plea, saying: "Do it for yourself, do it for us, and do it for the people. Because there is no one that would give you a better time than this guy." Now, it's unclear if Swift actually managed to give the podcast a listen, but Kelce took to Instagram to thank the co-hosts for their efforts. "You two are something else!!" he wrote. "I owe you big time!!"

Of course, Andrews takes pride in contributing to bringing together a superstar and a famous athlete, joking on "Today" that she was "the new Bumble" and clarified they did it on their own accord, with Kelce having zero involvement in it whatsoever. But she has no regrets at all, telling The Messenger that Swift seems to have a positive impact on her friend. "He's having a real glow-up. He looks great," she said.

Since Taylor Swift first appeared at a Chiefs game, she and Travis Kelce have become a mainstay in the headlines, with fans and the media watching their every move. Many speculated that the relationship between them was serious after they were seen being affectionate in public. However, both of them, particularly Kelce, insisted on keeping the details of their relationship private. "The latest status is I got to see her last week," he said at a press conference when asked about the real score between him and Swift. "I'm going to keep my personal relationship personal."

Meanwhile, a source dished to Us Weekly that while they aren't official yet, they are on the brink of taking that leap. "They're really happy. They're not saying they're in love yet. But it's obvious to her friends they're heading in that direction," they said. "Friends think they're in love."

If they ever do decide to take their relationship to the next level, don't hold your breath for the juicy details from either Kelce or Swift – or even Kelce's mom, Donna. "I'll talk about my life and when the kids were little, and I was with them, but they're men now," she said in a "Today" appearance. "They've got their own lives, and there isn't a man alive that's going to talk to their mom about their personal life." But she did acknowledge that the whole thing has been enjoyable, adding: "It truly feels like I'm in some kind of an alternate universe... It's a great ride."