Dave Merritt, the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, shared his thoughts on how Taylor Swift impacted her boyfriend, the talented tight end Travis Kelce, a few weeks after the Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl victory.
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Taylor Swift has captured the heart of yet another Chiefs Kingdom member.
As he described the influence he thinks the Grammy winner had on the star tight end and the Kansas City club in the run-up to their 2024 Super Bowl victory, defensive backs coach Dave Merritt praised Travis Kelce’s fiancée.
Less than two weeks after the huge game, on February 23, in an episode of The Sports Shop With Reese & Kmac, he stated, “She actually affected the team in a positive way.” “Everyone was thrilled to see Travis content. So, it supports and uplifts me when my brother, my player, is content next to me.”
Dave mentioned that since Travis started dating Taylor in the summer, he’s changed. “And so Travis came in there a different man,” he continued. “So she helped us.”
The coach made a joke, saying, “She won a Super Bowl in her first year in the NFL.” “How about that?”
This season, the “Blank Space” went to the most of the Chiefs games. Live footage of her supporting her boyfriend from a stadium suite was frequently shown on TV and live streams, eliciting varying reactions from spectators.
But as Dave noted, “It was in private that she began to open up.” Prior to the camera shining a bright light on her, nobody actually knew when she was entering the stadia.”
Dave recollected that Taylor “started to come around, but it was privately.” “She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put the big spotlight on her.”
“But after meeting her, I felt like she really enhanced what we were attempting to accomplish,” he went on. You know what, you’re part of our family since you’re now with Travis, so therefore you’re our little sister or whatever it may be, you’re part of family,” many of the individuals who were upset about her going on TV said.
Speaking of family, Taylor frequently hosted Travis’s relatives, including his mother Donna Kelce, in those stadium suites, along with her own. And she’s captured the affections of numerous Travis’s teammates through a unique means: baking.
Chief coach Andy Reid actually said on NFL on NBC on February 27 that the singer had made the offensive linemen’s pop tarts herself. “It was over,” he said in jest. “She knew right where to go.”
To relive Taylor and Travis’ entire love tale, continue reading.
When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri in July 2023, the romance between her and Travis Kelce officially began.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, a big Swift fan, attended the performance in the intention of handing Taylor a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. But because of her pre-show customs, he was unable to finish the pass.
Travis said on the July 26 edition of his New Heights podcast, “I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings.” “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
Early in September, E! News was informed by a person with direct knowledge of the matter that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
The insider clarified, “He’s been in season, so it’s been very low-key.”
Taylor accepted Travis’ invitation and went to Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Chiefs play the Chicago Bears alongside the athlete’s mother, Donna Kelce. At a nearby pub following the game, Taylor and Travis were spotted getting cosy.
The “Karma” singer subsequently explained that the two had spent a “significant amount of time” getting to know each other beforehand, despite the rumour that it was their first face-to-face meeting.
It was Taylor who observed, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad—including friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski—to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Another sign that Travis could be The 1? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes—the wife of Travis’ BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes—in and outside of NFL games.
The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live. Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn.
Travis flew to Argentina to see Taylor’s Eras Tour, which was visiting South America, during a bye week. At the Buenos Aires event on November 11, the NFL player not only grew close to Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, but he also received a special shoutout from the stage.
“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor said, “coming straight home to me.”
The Midnights musician was spotted sprinting up to Travis backstage after the performance and giving him a passionate kiss.
Taylor talked about the controversy surrounding her visits at Travis’ games in lavender.
“I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she stated to Time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone.”
The music superstar turned Travis’ Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year’s Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
Continuing to bond with Travis’ family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills.
When the Chiefs won the AFC Championship and guaranteed their spot in the 2024 Super Bowl, Taylor joined Travis on the football pitch. After kissing in celebration, the pair said the L-word to each other.
He said to her, “Tay, I’m going to enjoy with the guys.” “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”
On February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, after Travis guided the Kansas City Chiefs to victory, the two locked lips on the pitch.
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Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.