Super Bowl 2023: Donna Kelce has been the star of the week, before Travis and Jason play

PHOENIX — Travis Kelce or Jason Kelce could take over as the star of Super Bowl Sunday, but Donna Kelce has been the star of Super Bowl week.

Donna Kelce has been ubiquitous throughout the week, making numerous media appearances. She brought cookies to her sons on Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. She was a guest at the NFL Honors awards show, and was on the end of one of host Kelly Clarkson's jokes in the monologue. She has been on radio row doing interviews while promoting Sleep Number beds. Not many moms get promotional deals on Super Bowl week.

She should be soaking it in. Travis and Jason Kelce are the first brothers to play against each other in a Super Bowl, which means Donna Kelce is the first mom to have a son on each Super Bowl team.

She has been everywhere, either in a split jersey with Travis' Kansas City Chiefs on one side and Jason's Philadelphia Eagles on the other, or a shirt with the team names on each sleeve and her sons' names and numbers on the back.

"It has been an unreal week, I can tell you that," Donna Kelce told Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports during an appearance on radio row.

Jason and Travis aren't just any random players in the Super Bowl. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL and a huge part of the Chiefs' offense. Jason Kelce was the first-team All-Pro center this season, the fifth time he has gotten that distinction.

That one household produced two of the 11 members of the All-Pro offense in the NFL is amazing. That both are in the Super Bowl is even more improbable.

"It's a crazy scenario to be in," Travis Kelce said.

Donna Kelce is '50-50' for Super Bowl

When you're doing that many interviews you're bound to get some repeat questions, and Donna Kelce was clear on which one she's tired of.

"It's 'who am I rooting for?'" Donna Kelce said. "Obviously, I'd be rooting for my son. Well, they're both there. So I'm 50-50, right down the line."

Jason Kelce wasn't so sure about the equal split.

"Mom probably likes Travis more," Jason Kelce said. "She keeps trying to hedge her bet and say she likes me now because I have kids. That's a good way I've leveled the playing field with Trav. But the baby always gets the love from mom."

Jason is the older brother. Jason turned 35 last November. Travis turned 33 in October. Both went to the University of Cincinnati. Neither was a highly drafted instant superstar out of college. Jason was a sixth-round pick, though he started for the Eagles from his first career game on. Travis was a third-round pick and played just one game as a rookie due to a knee injury.

As one can imagine, a household with two future NFL stars had some wild moments.

"Chaos," Jason Kelce said. "But enjoyable chaos. It was a lot of fun. A lot of broken windows, shattered things around the house my parents had to deal with. It was one thing after another."

Donna Kelce had a story. The boys had a science experiment in school and decided they'd find out which type of ball would fall faster from the third floor.

"I was skeptical," Donna Kelce said. "I didn't think we should do this, because something bad would happen."

She said when Jason was putting away a bocce ball and started throwing it around in the garage, it bounced off a basketball rim and through the windshield of the car.

"Every day there was something new," Donna Kelce said. "Something broken.

"You know how it is with boys."

Brothers try to downplay matchup

The Kelce brothers have spoken about each other often this week, telling some stories about growing up, saying how much they appreciate making history against each other, but they also have tried to downplay the matchup a bit. Both have been excited to see their mom get her time in the spotlight.

"You can't tell my mom anything right now. She's an absolute superstar," Travis Kelce said. "I appreciate everyone jumping on the train and letting her have as much fun as she's been having. It's been cool to see her in that light."

There's an appreciation from the brothers for their parents' role in them becoming NFL stars.

"We played as many sports as you could play, music, martial arts, we did everything," Jason Kelce said. "Our parents really invested in us."

But this week is also about business. Travis said he appreciates the interest in the brother matchup, but his focus is on winning another Super Bowl. Jason said he and Travis have been talking since each of their teams won a conference championship — there hasn't been a cold war as the Super Bowl nears — but the bigger focus is on their respective teams.

"We have our family, but we're also playing for two families," Jason Kelce said. "We're playing for the Chiefs and Eagles. We're brothers, but for this next game we're going to try to be as much a part of those families."

There will be time to celebrate this remarkable achievement. They both understand how unique it is.

"It's a special moment," Travis Kelce said. "It's something we'll remember for the rest of our lives."