Aric Jones, the designer behind the streetwear brand Homebred and best friend to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, credits his success to youth sports.
In an interview in advance of the Super Bowl on Sunday, where the Kanas City Chiefs will face off against the San Francisco 49ers, Jones, 32, told People magazine he gained a certain skill set growing up in Ohio, playing in the same leagues as Kelce, 34.
“Sports are so important at a youth level because regardless of whether you see the success early on or not, the concepts remain the same,” he said.
He added, “I can take the lessons that I’ve learned from sports or the conversations that I’ve had with Travis or whatnot, and apply that to my marketing skills, apply that to Homebred … But if you don’t play sports, you might not understand.”
Jones explained that he, Kelce, and their squad have used this sport-centric mentality to ride to success together as a “cohesive unit” — not unlike a sports team. While fans may recognize Jones as Kelce’s game day “party captain,” often cheering the loudest in the Kelce family suite, Jones describes a fraternity-esque brotherhood that supports each other wholeheartedly.
“We’re really just a bunch of Midwest kids who respect and admire each other, and we learn together — and that’s sports. That’s the beauty of sports. We all love sports. We understand the mentality that has to go around sports,” he said.
The designer, who sells hoodies, snapbacks, socks, and more in the Chiefs’ red-and-gold team colors, noted that he and his friends have a saying that keeps them going: “Do your job, and everybody is a star in their own role.”
“If we all do our job contributing to each other’s success, then great things happen, like our 4th Super Bowl appearance,” he said.
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Jones explained that this team-like vibe is about more than propelling NFL star Kelce through the season.
“It doesn’t just stop when the season stops,” he said. “This is a very just cohesive thing. This is what we do.”
Ultimately, Jones views their unique and successful brotherhood like a car. He said, “Travis is the car, and everybody sees the Bentley, and they see the Ferrari, but are you popping the hood? ‘Cause we’re the engine. And that’s the way I look at it.”
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