The case for Jason Kelce as the best center of his generation an a potential Hall of Fame candidate got stronger Friday when he was named first-team all-pro for the third time in his brilliant career.
He’s the eighth player in franchise history to earn first-team all-pro honors from the Associated Press three times.
"Jason Kelce epitomizes what this team is all about,” Doug Pederson said earlier in the day. “I could spend this entire press conference talking about what he means to this team and what he means to me."
Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White (6 times), Pete Pihos and Steve Van Buren (five times) and Brian Dawkins and Al Wistert (four times) are the only players to earn all-pro more than Kelce since the AP began giving out the award in 1940.
All are Hall of Famers except Wistert, who is a seniors finalist this year. Hall of Famer Bob Brown and Keith Jackson are also three-time all-pros.
Kelce is the 13th center in history to receive all-pro honors three or more times. Of the 12 others, 11 are in the Hall of Fame — all but Clyde Smith, who played for the Providence Cowboys, Cleveland Bulldogs and Providence Steam Roller in the 1920s (and made a pre-AP version of the NFL all-pro team).
Last month, Kelce was named to his third Pro Bowl team. This is the first time in his career he’s been named all-pro and a Pro Bowler the same season.
NFL
Kelce was the 191st player taken in the 2011 draft. He’s the 13th offensive lineman in NFL history drafted in the sixth round or later to earn all-pro honors at least three times and the first since Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright of the Cowboys in the early 1970s.
Kelce hasn’t missed a game since 2014.
The only other centers to earn three all-pro first-team honors in the last 30 years are Steelers Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson in the 1990s and Kevin Mawae more recently with the Jets and Titans.
Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson finished third in balloting at guard and tackle. The AP issues only a first and second team. Malcolm Jenkins and Fletcher Cox each got a vote.
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