Philly icon and an Eagles legend, Jason Kelce, may have spent most of his life as a center on the gridiron. But ever since he announced his retirement, Kelce’s love and passion for Philadelphia have only grown deeper. It’s his undeniable respect for the city that made him a star, which urged him to start a clothing line completely dedicated to Philly. “Underdog is a mentality. Underdog embodies the true Philadelphia spirit. Beat up but never beaten, disadvantaged but never defeated. Counted out, written off, but always believing we have the chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat..This city owns this spirit,” Jason said in 2022 after founding Underdog Apparel. Now, almost two years later, Kelce is finally getting the recognition he deserves for his Underdog, aimed not just at making his Philly roots stronger but also his American heart.

Today, Kelce’s Underdog Philadelphia got recognized by The New York Times for its commitment to producing American-made goods. This even led to him expressing his gratitude to the article as he shared it on X, “Thank you to @nytimes for highlighting some of our new products and efforts with Underdog Philadelphia. Been a long process, but proud to be a part of something that supports our communities and US manufacturing. More to come!”

A tidy collection of crew neck sweatshirts, T-shirts, socks, and more—every one of them is produced on American soil. From the cotton used to the complete garment, the whole manufacturing process is done in America. This led Jason to take a subtle dig at his brother, who has never truly embraced American-made apparel.

Referring to Travis Kelce’s viral US Open Gucci drip he wore with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, Jason said, “I don’t want to offend anybody. I never understood the reason that somebody would want to wear Gucci, or some of these high-end brands. It’s never appealed to me.” Well, this is not the first time Jason roasted his brother for wearing Gucci. On their New Heights Podcast, he told Trav, “You went Country Club, so you got to recorrect your brand image. You got to go back to your roots.” 

As for Travis, he apparently draped himself in a $780 Gucci polo and a bucket hat that cost around $620. The fit may have suited Trav or even impressed Taylor, who was present beside him at the US Open. However, not to Jason, he “would much rather wear something that symbolized a blue-collar worker as opposed to a suit.” It’s his patriotism from a young age that made Jason an America First man.

“I grew up going into steel mills with my father,” Kelce said, recalling his childhood days in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. That bit motivated Kelce to come up with the idea of Underdog Philadelphia. “So, the concept of American workers making things was something that was ingrained early. And I just always gravitated toward it.” Kelce’s burning desire to create American-made goods may have led him to lay the foundation for Underdog Apparel. However, Jason soon learned that at least some portion of manufacturing eventually gets woven overseas.

Even if the label reads “Made in the United States,” either the cotton comes from outside or other components are used. So, to ensure everything from start to finish is done on American soil. Kelce’s Underdog found the perfect partner in American Giant.

Jason Kelce’s Underdog’s latest collaboration partner makes his dream come true

Jason Kelce’s brand may have partnered with many local artists, like Eric Kenney, as a tribute to Philadelphia. But none of them could probably be bigger than his latest collab with American Giant, a San Francisco-based company known for manufacturing entirely in the US. American Giant harvests its cotton from North Carolina. Then the garments are finished in Los Angeles. And it has also been closely supervised by Jason, who has watched the production firsthand.

“The eye-opening part for me was how truly decentralized this is. How many people touch just one T-shirt and how many steps there are in that process. I had never really thought much about,” Kelce mused. Make no mistake—Kelce’s effort to promote US-made products has nothing to do with the ongoing US tariff war with China. Even before this trade war began, Kelce was already working to change Americans’ attitudes toward buying homemade products.

Catering to only 2% of American people who purchase clothes manufactured domestically, Kelce said, “Listen, there’s some really awesome reasons to support homegrown American businesses and local businesses.” Kelce’s Underdog brand partnership with American Giant will not only help promote American craftsmanship but also bring communities together through the underdog spirit this brand lives by.