Jason Kelce has responded to a Dallas family after they said the Luchador mask he now famously wore at Super Bowl after parties last weekend belonged to their son.
On Friday morning, Kelce said in a post on X that "Operation 'Get Elijah His Mask Back' is underway!"
The Philadelphia Eagles center also said that he appreciated that the matter was brought to his attention and that he looked forward to uniting Elijah with his mask once again.
"Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered," Kelce said in his post on Friday.
Videos began circulating on social media late last Sunday night showing Kelce, brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, partying in a Luchador mask while celebrating his brother's Super Bowl win.
On Thursday, the family of Dallas 8th-grader Elijah Smith told NBC DFW that Kelce had seemingly inadvertently walked away with the boy's mask after they saw Kelce and took a picture with him at a party before the late-night event where the Kelces and others celebrated the night away.
Explaining that the mask was a lucky one for the Kansas City fan, Smith said he'd love to get it back.
A 'lucky' mask goes on a journey
Little did Kelce fans know when they first saw the viral videos, the mask was an unplanned part of his outfit.
Jason Kelce spent the Super Bowl in a suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas cheering on brother Travis' Kansas City Chiefs with family and friends, including his brother's girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
After the Chiefs' win over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, many in their group hit the after-parties.
On the Wednesday episode of the Kelce brothers' "New Heights," podcast, Jason talked about how he found the mask on the floor and picked it up.
"There's something about finding that Luchador mask that really just transformed the night," he recalled during the podcast. "It really did. It was insane."
He also apologized to whoever he took it from, and it just so happens that person is 8th grader Elijah Smith from Dallas who is a big Chiefs fan.
"I gave him my mask and then he dropped it and then picked it back up. Then I got a picture with him wearing it and then I just hung out next to them for five to 10 minutes, they were dancing and everything," Smith said.
Smith says he and his friend tried to run after Jason but it was extremely crowded and loud.
"I saw videos on Instagram this week of him wearing it at the next after-party he went to, so he clearly never took it off the whole night," Smith said.
Smith and his parents, Thad and Sarah, told NBC they were hoping to get it back, as a good luck charm for next season.
"The only thing is, Jason if you're listening, we just need the mask back before the season starts. Because it's a lucky mask, and so the Chiefs need the luck. I'm sorry we're not Eagles fans," said Thad Smith.
"Last year when I wore it in Arizona, I feel like every single time I put it on we would score a touchdown," said Elijah.
The Smiths say Elijah wore it at a Super Bowl after-party last year. That's when Chiefs player Trent McDuffie signed the mask. "It has a huge autograph on the side," Elijah said.
The Smiths said the mask has been to four Super Bowls, including this latest one.
The family hopes to get the mask back, but if not they are just grateful they got to be there.
"He was happy. He was excited. There was so much celebrating going on and dancing. And you couldn't help but be excited," said mom Sarah Smith. "I asked him when we got to the room, 'Wait, he has your mask?' And he's like 'Yea' and I said 'Are you upset?' And he just wasn't upset, he was a little bummed because it's his autographed mask with Trent McDuffie, that was upsetting, but at the end of the day we were all celebrating a Super Bowl win."
There's just one thing that would make it even better. "It would be pretty cool if he autographed it and sent it back," Elijah said.
The morning after the Smith's story aired, Kelce tweeted that he planned to return the mask, linking to NBC DFW's online story.
The Smith family says they have seen the tweet.
“First of all, our family is heart broken over the horrific act of violence at the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs parade," they said in a statement. "Our family is praying for all of the families who have been impacted. While we are grateful for Jason Kelce’s thoughtful tweet, we do want Kansas City to know that we are praying for God’s healing of broken hearts."
"We are so happy Jason enjoyed the mask as much as our son has. The weekend was epic, and it seems the mask was just as electric for Jason as it has been for Elijah!”
