“You’re Getting a New Car Today”: Matt Ammendola Recalls How Travis Kelce Helped Him After Minivan Incident
Sometimes in life, your lucky break comes with an unexpected twist. Nothing ever works out perfectly, so even when things go right, there’s always one aspect that can’t help but to go wrong.
Such was the case for Matt Ammendola’s last-minute signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. The AFC juggernauts managed to flip his life upside down and for the better all within 24 hours, but a few things did get lost in the shuffle along the way.
Nevertheless, everything seemed to be going his way following that initial phone call from his agent.
“I’m watching Monday Night Football and my agent calls me, ‘Hey, you gotta get on a flight tomorrow… The Chiefs are working you out, just to let you know. The flight is at 6am.’ …I ended up getting signed that night.”
While it was nice to see a team willing to expedite the signing process for him, the Chiefs seem to have overlooked some of the finer details of the evening, such as the specifics for Ammendola’s itinerary. After a member of the organization handed him the keys to his rental car, he soon discovered that a quick signing didn’t necessarily mean that a franchise was rolling out the red carpet for you.
“I’m looking around like, where is this car? You see all these BMW, Porches, Range Rovers. It’s a Toyota… Minivan. Big, white minivan. I was like, bro, no disrespect, but you expect me to show up on game day with this?”
After the Chiefs’ representative reassured Ammendola that it was a “good” car with quality gas mileage, the Oklahoma product couldn’t help but to fear for the worst. Once he finally arrived at Arrowhead Stadium for his official debut as a Kansas City Chief, he noted that it didn’t take long before “everyone started taking pictures of me and my minivan.”
Thankfully, one of the team’s veteran captains and star tight end, Travis Kelce, was there to soften the blow for him. The 10-time Pro Bowl walked right up to him, put him around Ammendola, and began to joke, “Are you excited? I’m excited for ya, ’cause you’re gonna get a new car after this.”
According to Ammendola, that initial greeting from Kelce, paired with his “big-brother energy,” was enough to help him settle in for the contest ahead. Ammendola would go on to make what would ultimately be the game-winning kick of the contest, and in those initial moments of celebration, Kelce made sure to come back around and give his approval. “He comes to me after the game, and he’s like, ‘See, I told you. I told you. Now let’s go getcha that new car.’”
Knowing that veterans such as Kelce are willing to look after each and every member of the roster, including a kicker who hadn’t even been in town for an entire week, helps to highlight why Kansas City has managed to become one of the most prestigious dynasties of the modern era. They make sure everyone is looked after. It’s just a shame that Kelce wasn’t working the rental cars that day for Ammendola.
